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TRAVELS  IN  KORDOFAN; 


EMBRACING 

A     DESCRIPTION     OF    THAT    PROVINCE    OF     EGYPT, 

AND   OF   SOME   OF   THE   BORDERING   COUNTRIES, 
WITH    A    REVIEW    OF    THE    PRESENT    STATE    OF    THE    COMMERCE 

IN    THOSE    COUNTRIES, 

OF    THE    HABITS    AND    CUSTOMS    OF    THE    INHABITANTS, 

AS    ALSO    AX    ACCOUNT    OF    THE   SLAVE-HUNTS    TAKING    PLACE 

rXDER    THE    GOVERNMENT    OF    MEIIEMED    ALT. 


BY 


IGNATIUS    PALLME. 

n 


FROM     NOTES    COLLECTED    DURING    A     RESIDENCE    OF    NEARLY    TWO    YEARS    IN 

KORDOFAN. 


LONDON: 

.1.   MADDEN  AND  CO.,  8,  LEADEN  HALL  ST1IKKT. 
IM-i. 


DTI35 


LONDON : 

Printed  by  8.  &  J.  BENTLKY,  WILSON,  and  FT.EY, 
Bangor  House,  Shoe  Lane. 


PREFACE. 


TOWARDS  the  close  of  the  year  1837  I  undertook, 
at  the  request  of  a  friend,  a  journey  into  the  most 
distant  portion  of  the  countries  under  the  govern- 
ment of  the  Viceroy  of  Egypt,  in  order  to  collect 
information  referring  to  commerce,  but  more  espe- 
cially with  the  view  of  convincing  myself  whether 
trade  might  be  carried  on  with  these  countries 
directly,  instead  of  through  the  intermediation  of 
agents,  in  whose  hands  it  had  hitherto  rested.  The 
task,  although  rather  arduous,  was  not  displeasing 
to  me,  for  a  residence  of  several  years  in  Egypt 
had  rendered  me  tolerably  proficient  in  the  Arabic 
language  and  colloquial  dialect,  and  my  prior  tra- 
vels in  various  parts  of  the  Soudan  had  made  me 
familiar  with  the  habits  of  the  natives,  besi<l<-- 


M157148 


Vi  PREFACE. 

procuring  me  the  acquaintance  of  many  merchants 
from  the  more  distant  provinces.  With  these  ad- 
vantages I  travelled  during  nineteen  months  in  all 
directions  through  these  countries.  Whilst  on  my 
journey,  or  sojourning  in  any  place,  I  noted  down 
in  my  journal  everything  that  appeared  to  me  re- 
markable, which  I  laid  before  my  friends  for  their 
amusement  on  my  return.  It  is  with  their  advice, 
and  more  particularly  at  the  instigation  of  the 
celebrated  French  traveller  Antoine  d*  Abbadie,  that 
the  information  I  was  able  to  collect  respect- 
ing a  country  of  which  so  little  was  formerly 
known,  now  appears  in  print.  My  journey  was 
strictly  mercantile  in  its  tendency ;  I  cannot,  there- 
fore, venture  on  so  explicit  a  description  as  might 
be  expected  of  a  traveller  or  a  man  well  versed  in 
the  various  sciences  a  traveller  should  profess,  and 
yet  I  am  not  altogether  diffident,  inasmuch  as  I 
think  that  my  small  contribution  will  at  least  form 
a  short  guide  for  those  who  may  be  willing  to  ex-  , 
plore  these  countries  more  fully  hereafter,  as  it  will 
give  them  many  a  hint  before  they  reach  these 
clinios,  which  will  save  them  much  trouble  and 
inconvenience  during  their  residence  in  Kordofan. 
Although  two  distinguished  German  travellers,  J)r. 


PREFACK.  vii 

and    the    Conseill'u'i'    dcx   A/i/ir*.  Rttssegger, 
have    visited    the  country  before  me,   their  sojourn 
there  was  of  such  short  duration,  and  they  travelled 
in  so  much  company,  that  many  things  must  have 
escaped    their    observation,    and    remained    hidden 
from  them,  which  were  revealed  to  me,  who,  defy- 
ing every  species  of  danger,  wandered  through  the 
province   alone,  under  a  variety   of  circumstances, 
sometimes  accompanied  by  one  solitary  servant,  and 
sometimes    even    without    thus    much    protection. 
Thus   I  have   often    shared   the  humble  fare  of  a 
camel-driver  in  the   desert,  or  conversed  with   the 
natives  in  their  damp  and  obscure  Tukkoli ;  whilst 
at  other  times  I  have  enjoyed   the  opportunity  of 
gaining  information  from  the  governor  and  higher 
officials,  to  whose  feasts  I  was  frequently  invited. 

My  readers  must  excuse  me  if,  in  the  perusal  of 
this  small  work,  they  meet  with  a  deficiency  of 
TI inch  information  generally  expected  from  a  tra- 
veller, for  I  repeat  again  that  I  did  not  undertake 
this  journey  with  the  view  of  writing,  but  that  I 
wrote  merely  at  the  request  of  my  friends,  and  be- 
cause I  thought  that  by  lifting  the  veil  of  obscurity 
from  certain  relations,  I  might  in  some  measure 
become  useful  to  futurity,  and  in  this  respect  I 


viii  PREFACE. 

have  already  met  with  a  few  grateful  acknowledg- 
ments. I  shall,  therefore,  send  this  little  book  into 
the  world  with  confidence,  assured  that  it  will  find 
a  considerate  reception,  and  that  its  deficiencies 
will  be  placed  to  the  account  of  the  circumstances 
under  which  it  was  produced. 

THE  AUTHOR. 

Cairo. 


TRANSLATOR'S    PREFACE. 


IGNATIUS  PALLME,  a  Bohemian  by  birth,  it  would 
appear,  undertook  the  journey  to  Kordofan,  on 
commission,  for  a  mercantile  establishment  at  Cairo, 
in  the  hope  of  discovering  new  channels  of  traffic 
with  Central  Africa.  In  the  pursuit  of  his  object, 
he  sojourned  longer  in  the  country  than  any  Euro- 
pean before  him ;  the  information  he  furnishes 
respecting  the  present  state  of  this  province  of 
Egypt  in  particular,  and  of  the  Belled  'Soudan  in 
general,  may,  therefore,  be  considered  the  most 
anthentic  in  existence  at  the  present  time.  That  few 
travellers  have  visited  these  countries,  and  subjected 
the  information  they  were  enabled  to  collect  to  print, 
may  be  deduced  from  the  facts,  that  scarcely  one- 
half  of  the  places  mentioned  in  the  work  before  us 
are  to  be  found  on  the  most  recent  map*  ;  and  that 
in  referring  to  the  literature  on  these  countries,  for 
making  a  comparison  between  Pallme's  opinions 


x  TRANSLATOR'S  PREFACE. 

an<l  those  of  other  authors,  many  difficulties  were 
experienced,  and  many  researches  proved  ungrati- 
ficd.  The  original  is  characterised  by  an  ingenuous 
and  unassuming  style ;  and  it  has  been  my  chief 
endeavour  to  paraphrase  the  text  as  closely  as  com- 
patible with  the  two  languages.  Those  idiomatic 
constructions  which  may  be  met  with  in  the  trans- 
lation, are  owing  to  this  strict  adherence  to  the 
original ;  but  I  have  at  least  the  consolation  of 
knowing  that  the  loss  by  solecism  may  be  consi- 
dered as  gain  in  authenticity — the  chief  object  of 
the  undertaking.  Pallme's  orthography  has  been 
generally  followed  as  regards  Arab  terms,  excepting 
where  the  same  words  are  familiar  to  the  public  in 
a  different  garb,  or  where  they  are  to  be  found 
otherwise  spelt,  in  at  least  two  accredited  English 
authors ;  for  it  was  impossible  to  furnish  the  cer- 
tain literation,  as  the  Arab  character  is  not  affixed 
to  the  original  text. 

THE  TRANSLATOR. 

LONDON, 
May  1st,  1844. 


CONTENTS. 


(HAP. 

I.  Position  of  the  Country  ;  Borders,  Rivers,  Soil,  and 

Climate  ....  1 

II.  History  .  .  .  .  .11 

III.  Government .....  27 

IV.  Habits  and  Customs        .  .  .  .44 
V.  Character  of  the  People          .             .             .  1 07 

VI.  The  Bakkara.     (Nomadic  Tribes.)  .             .118 

VII.  The  Kubbabeesh        .             .  .             .132 

VIII.  Dar-Hammer      .             .             .  .             .142 
IX.  Tribes    bordering    on    Kordofan,    Shilluk,    Nuba, 

Takele,  etc.         .             .  .             .147 

X.  Religion               .             .             .  .             .184 

XI.  Diseases        .             .             .  .             .192 

XII.  The  Troops         .             .             .  .             .199 

XIII.  Products       .              .              .  .              .            217 

XIV.  The  Capital  of  Kordofan;  Lobeid  .             .     258 
XV.  Commerce    .             .             .  .                         279 

XVI.  Mehemed  Ali's  Slave-hunts  in  general      .  .     305 

XVII.  Description  of  a  Slave-hunt  in  the  years  1838  and 

1839       .  ....  326 

XVIII.  Information  concerning   the   Course  of  the  Bahr- 
Abiad  (White  Nile). — Antiquities  of  Kordo- 
fan.— Bandanianiam  .  .  .     345 
XIX.  On  the  kingdom  of  Darfmir  .              .              .  350 


TRAVELS     IN     KORDOFAN, 

ETC. 


CHAPTER  I. 

POSITION  OF    THE    COUNTRY  J    BORDERS,    RIVERS,    SOIL,    AND   CLIMATE. 

KORDOFAN,  one  of  the  most  southern  provinces 
under  the  government  of  the  Viceroy  of  Egypt, 
extends  in  the  north  from  Haraza  to  Kodero,  in  the 
south  from  the  Nuba  mountains,  and  eastwards 
from  Caccia  to  the  Shilluk  or  Shillook*  mountains, 
about  four  degrees  of  longitude.  The  desert  of 
Dongola  forms  its  northern  border,  that  of  Darfur 
its  western  limit.  Towards  the  south,  no  definite 
confines  can  be  described,  as  the  extent  of  these 
dominions  increases  or  decreases  accordingly  as  the 
inhabitants  of  this  part  of  the  country  become  tri- 
butary, either  by  their  own  free-will,  or  are  ren- 
dered subjects  by  force,  as  occasionally  occurs,  and 
subsequently  free  themselves  from  the  yoke.  On  this 
account  the  present  government  has  divided  the 
country  into  five  districts,  and  regards  Kodero.  and 
the  free  heathen  Nuba,  as  its  southern  bonier. 

*  The  Rev.  J.  Russell's  Nubia  and  Abyssinia,  p.  1 79.— Tr. 

D 


2  BORDERS. 

Kordofan  has  no  townships  on  the  Bahr-Abiad,  or 
White  Nile,  for  the  village  nearest  to  this  river  is 
situate  at  a  distance  of  about  four  hours'  march 
from  its  banks.  The  Nomadic  tribes,  inhabiting 
the  western  shore,  belong  to  the  realms  of  Sennaar, 
and  are  entirely  distinct  from  the  natives  of  Kordo- 
fan ;  the  Bakara-Kubbabeesh  *  only,  a  Nomadic 
tribe,  also,  frequently  drive  their  herds  to  the  bor- 
ders of  the  White  River  for  pasturage.  The  five  dis- 
tricts are  named  severally :  Korci,  Bara,  Ketshmar, 
Abou-Haraz,  and  Dayara.  Each  of  them  is  go- 
verned by  a  Casheff,  or  captain  of  the  district,  who 
is  at  the  same  time  captain  in  a  regiment  of  the 
line.  Taking  a  general  view  of  Kordofan,  it  may 
be  said  to  consist  chiefly  of  a  cluster  of  small  and 
large  oases,  which  are  not  far  distant  from  each 
other,  as  in  the  Great  Desert.  The  soil  is  sandy 
throughout,  and  the  country  is  rather  flat  than 
mountainous.  In  the  vicinity  of  Haraza,  however, 
a  chain  of  mountains  arises,  shelving  off  towards  the 
White  River ;  while  the  mountains  in  the  interior  are 
inconsiderable,  several  of  which  may  be  seen  towards 
the  south  and  south-east.  The  soil  is,  on  the  whole, 
very  fertile;  for,  with  the  commencement  of  the 
rainy  season,  vegetation  springs  up  from  the  earth 
as  if  by  magic,  and  nature  then  shows  herself  in  her 
full  vigour  and  pomp;  balsamic  odours,  which  act 
almost  intoxicatingiy  on  the  senses,  are  everywhere 
breathed  forth,  and  the  traveller  might  imagine 

*  A  pastoral  race. 


RIVERS.  3 

himself  transplanted  into  the  fairy  gardens  of  the 
Arabian  Nights'  talcs. 

Kordofan  has  no  flowing  rivers ;  during  the  rain v 
season,  some  few  running  streams  are  formed,  but 
these  dry  up  as  quickly  as  they  appear.  There 
are  several  lakes,  or  large  ponds,  in  the  country, 
amongst  which  those  at  Arat,  Birget,*  Ketshmar, 
and  Caccia,  are  the  most  considerable ;  in  the  lat- 
ter, many  leeches  are  found ;  but  the  other  stagnant 
waters,  which  are  generated  during  the  rainy  sea- 
son, quickly  evaporate,  and  only  those  above-named 
contain  water  throughout  the  year.  In  the  vicinity 
of  Haraza,  in  a  north-easterly  direction  from  the 
village,  pure  and  fresh  water  for  drinking  is  found 
on  the  summit  of  a  mountain  during  the  whole  year. 
There  is  an  abundance  of  iron  ore  in  the  province, 
respecting  which  more  explicit  information  may  be 
gleaned  from  the  work  of  Russegger,  the  Royal  Im- 
perial inspector  of  mines,  who,  in  the  year  1837,  tra- 
velled through  this  country  as  far  as  Sheibon,  to 
which  book  I  must  refer  my  readers,  as  geognostic 
research  was  not  the  purpose  of  my  travels.  The  cli- 
mate is  very  unhealthy,  especially  during  the  rainy 
season;  no  hut  is  then,  indeed,  to  be  met  with  in 
which  there  are  not  at  least  several  sick ;  in  the  dry 
season,  again,  all  disease  disappears;  at  this  time, 
however,  not  only  man,  but  all  living  creatures,  suffer 
from  the  extreme  heat.  The  eye  then  rests  with 
melancholy  on  the  desolate  and  parched  plains, — 

*  Birket,  as  found  on  the  maps  of  Arrowsmith. 


4  SOIL   AND   CLIMATE. 

trophies  of  the  victory  of  the  heat  over  animated  na- 
ture,— where  nothing  is  to  be  seen  but  bones  of  men 
and  animals  bleached  by  the  burning  sun.  During 
the  whole  of  this  season,  which  endures  about  eight 
months,  the  sky  is  clear  and  cloudless,  and  the  heat 
is  insupportable,  especially  in  the  months  of  April 
and  May.  From  eleven  o'clock,  A.M.,  to  three,  P.M., 
when  the  thermometer  stands  in  the  shade  at  38°, 
or  even  at  40°,  Reaumur  (117°  to  122°  Fahrenheit), 
it  is  impossible  for  any  breathing  creature  to  remain 
in  the  open  air.  Every  living  being,  both  men  and 
cattle,  with  equal  eagerness  seek  the  shade,  to  pro- 
tect themselves  from  the  scorching  rays  of  a  fierce 
sun.  Man  sits  during  these  hours  as  if  in  a  vapour- 
bath,  his  cheerfulness  of  disposition  declines,  and  he 
is  almost  incapable  of  thought ;  listless,  and  with 
absence  of  mind,  he  stares  vacantly  before  him, 
searching  in  vain  for  a  cool  spot.  The  air  breathed 
is  hot  as  if  it  proceeded  from  a  heated  furnace,  and 
acts  in  so  enervating  a  manner  on  the  animal 
economy,  that  it  becomes  a  trouble  even  to  move 
a  limb.  All  business  ceases,  everything  is  wrapped 
in  a  sleep  of  death,  until  the  sun  gradually  sinks, 
and  the  cool  air  recalls  men  and  animals  again  into 
life  and  activity.  The  nights,  on  the  other  hand, 
are  so  sharp,  that  it  is  necessary  to  be  more  careful 
in  guarding  against  the  effects  of  cold  in  this  coun- 
try, than  in  the  northern  parts  of  Europe  during 
the  severest  winter,  for  the  consequences  frequently 
prove  fatal  During  the  whole  year,  day  and  night 


SOIL  AND   CLIMATE.  i> 

an-  equally  divided,  or  with  but  imperceptible  varia- 
tion, and,  as  in  all  tropical  climates,  there  is  no  twi- 
light; for  with  sunset  night  begins.  During  the 
dry  season,  everything  in  nature  appears  desolate 
and  dismal ;  the  plants  are  burnt  up;  the  trees  lose 
their  leaves,  and  appear  like  brooms ;  no  bird  is  heard 
to  sing ;  no  animal  delights  to  disport  in  the  glad- 
ness of  its  existence ;  every  living  being  creeps  to- 
wards the  forest  to  secrete  itself,  seeking  shelter 
from  the  fearful  heat;  save  that,  now  and  then,  an 
ostrich  will  be  seen  traversing  the  desert  fields  in 
Hying  pace,  or  a  giraffe  hastening  from  one  oasis  to 
another.  In  this  season,  however,  frightful  hurri- 
canes occasionally  arise,  and  fill  the  minds  of  those, 
who  have  not  been  witness  of  such  a  phenomenon 
in  nature  before,  with  the  utmost  consternation.  A 
powerful  current  of  air,  of  suffocating  heat,  blov.  ^ 
fiercely  from  one  point  of  the  heavens  to  the  other, 
devastating  everything  that  lies  in  its  course.  The 
atmosphere  bears  at  these  times  generally  a  leaden 
grey  appearance,  and  is  impregnated  with  fine  sand: 
the  sun  loses  its  brilliancy,  and  total  darkness  enve- 
lopes the  earth,  rendering  it  even  difficult  to  distin- 
guish objects  at  a  few  paces  distant.  The  sky 
changes  suddenly,  becomes  of  a  yellow  colour,  then 
armies  a  reddish  hue,  and  the  sun  appears  as  a 
blood-red  disk.  The  wind  howls,  tears  up  every- 
thing within  its  reach  ;  houses,  fences,  and  tr> 
by  the  roots,  carrying  them  away  with  it;  levels 
mounds  of  sand,  and  piles  up  fresh  hills.  In  short. 


6  SOIL   AND   CLIMATE. 

the  devastation  caused  by  a  hurricane  of  this  kind 
is  beyond  description.  Unfortunate,  indeed,  is  he 
who  happens  to  be  overtaken  in  the  desert  by  one 
of  these  storms.  There  is  no  course  left  for  him  to 
save  himself,  but  to  throw  himself  with  his  face 
on  the  ground,  in  order  to  avoid  suffocation  by  the 
pressure  of  the  atmosphere.  Respiration  is  totally 
impeded ;  all  the  fibres  are  tightly  contracted ;  the 
chest  threatens  to  burst  for  want  of  pure  air;  and  a 
man  of  rather  weak  constitution,  overtaken  by  one 
of  these  hurricanes  in  the  open  air,  generally  suc- 
cumbs. But  robust  men,  even  those  in  full  vigour 
of  life,  feel  depressed  in  every  limb  for  several 
hours  after  exposure  to  these  storms,  and  recover 
but  slowly,  and  by  degrees.  Animals  fly  and  endea- 
vour to  conceal  themselves  ;  every  creature,  in  fact, 
seeks  a  place  of  shelter.  The  camels  on  journeys 
indicate  the  storm  before  it  breaks  forth  by  an  un- 
steadiness of  gait,  and  by  drooping  their  heads  to- 
wards the  ground. 

A  no  less  remarkable  phenomenon  is  the  Mirage, 
i.  e.  the  appearance  of  seas  and  rivers,  supposed  to 
be  observed  in  the  middle  of  the  desert,  but  which, 
in  fact,  are  only  represented  to  the  eye  in  this  de- 
ceptive manner  by  a  rising  vapour,  and  the  reflec- 
tion of  the  sun.  The  sensation  is  indescribable, 
of  descrying  at  the  distance  large  rivers  and  lakes, 
after  having  travelled  for  several  tedious  days  through 
the  desert,  where  nothing  is  to  be  seen  but  sand 
and  heaven,  as  but  water  and  sky  on  the  high  seas, 


SOIL   AND   CLIMATE.  7 

and  at  a  time,  moreover,  when  the  traveller  is 
longing  after  water.  We  wish  for  wings,  to  be 
able  to  reach  the  element  of  which  we  have  been 
BO  long  deprived  as  quickly  as  possible.  We  de- 
light in  the  idea  of  invigorating  the  exhausted  and 
enervated  body  by  a  bath,  and  the  eye  is  continu- 
ally bent  upon  this  pleasing  object.  But  what  is 
our  disappointment, — how  are  the  spirits  depressed, 
— when,  notwithstanding  these  ardent  wishes,  on 
our  approach,  the  lakes  and  rivers,  which  we  had 
discerned  at  the  distance,  are  resolved,  in  the 
literal  sense  of  the  word,  into  thin  air ;  and  when  we 
find,  in  lieu  of  water,  the  sand  as  hot  and  dry  as  in 
the  place  we  had  just  left !  When  the  traveller  has 
frequently  observed  this  phenomenon,  and  accus- 
tomed himself  to  it,  he  will  be  pleased  with  the 
image  which  diverts  his  eye,  and  will  look  upon  it  as 
a  variation  in  the  scene.  These  aerial  phenomena 
are  called  in  the  country,  Bahr-el-Ghazal,  or  Gazelle 
Rivers,  probably  because,  like  these  animals,  they 
disappear  as  soon  as  seen. 

The  rains  begin  in  the  month  of  June,  and  termi- 
nate with  the  month  of  October.  Those  who  have 
not  spent  this  season  in  a  tropical  country,  can  form 
no  idea  of  the  showers  which  then  drench  the  earth. 
The  storms  generally  arise  in  the  east  or  in  the 
south.  A  small  black  cloud  is,  at  first,  perceived 
on  the  horizon,  which  increases  as  it  approaches, 
spreads  in  a  few  minutes,  with  incredible  velocity, 
over  i he  uhole  reo-ion,  and  then  descends.  A  fear- 


8  SOIL   AND   CLIMATE. 

ful  storm  now  rages :  flash  upon  flash,  and  peal  suc- 
ceeding peal,  the  lightning  illumines  the  whole 
heavens,  and  the  thunder  rolls  most  fearfully,  as  if 
the  sky  were  about  to  open  and  the  earth  to  burst ; 
streams  of  water  pour  down  with  violence,  which 
the  soil  is  incapable  of  imbibing,  and  torrents  are 
thus  formed,  destined,  however,  soon  to  be  lost  in 
the  sands.  Showers  of  this  description  generally 
last  over  one  quarter  of  an  hour,  seldom  for  a  longer 
period,  and  very  rarely,  indeed,  are  they  repeated 
on  the  same  day.  They  remit  frequently  during 
two,  three,  or  even  six  days,  and  this  is  the  most 
unhealthy,  and  even  dangerous  time  both  for  stran- 
gers and  natives  ;  but  it  is  admitted  by  general 
consent,  that  those  of  white  colour  suffer  more  than 
the  blacks. 

As  if  by  magic,  Nature  now  awakes  from  her 
sleep  of  death ;  for,  immediately  after  the  first 
shower,  the  earth  is  clad  with  verdure,  the  trees 
shoot  forth  fresh  buds,  and  a  vesture  of  flowers  is 
spread  over  the  whole  country. 

Certain  districts  of  Kordofan,  whose  position 
is  not  elevated,  may,  indeed,  be  compared  with 
Paradise.  Everything  there  appears  in  most  per- 
fect luxuriance.  All  the  trees  and  bushes  are 
covered  with  flowers  and  fruit,  so  that  the  leaves 
are  scarcely  discernible.  The  grass  attains  a  height 
sufficient  to  cover  a  rider  and  his  horse.  Creeping 
plants  wind  themselves  up  to  the  summit  of  the 
highest  trees;  in  short,  the  force  and  vigour  of 


SOIL   AND   CLIMATE.  9 

vegetation  is  everywhere  demonstrated.  As  the 
eye  is  delighted  by  the  diversity  of  the  magnificent 
flowers,  so  it  is  also  gratified  by  the  varieties  of 
colours  displayed  in  the  plumage  of  the  parroN, 
colibris,  and  other  feathered  inhabitants  of  the  de- 
sert and  the  gardens,  animating  the  trees  with  their 
gorgeous  plumes,  and  enchanting  the  ear  with  their 
delightful  song ;  melodious  and  charming  notes  re- 
sound, as  if  in  emulation,  from  the  various  branches 
and  I  could  almost  have  forgotten  the  song  of  the 
lark  and  the  nightingale  of  my  own  beloved  coun- 
try. But  these  silvery  notes  are  not  of  long  dura- 
tion ;  the  song  is  too  sweet  to  last  for  a  long  time. 
It  begins  as  the  first  dawn  of  morning  removes  the 
veil  of  night,  increases  as  the  light  extends;  but 
when  the  sun  arises  above  the  horizon  of  the  desert, 
or  gilds  the  mountains  with  his  rays,  one  warbler 
after  the  other  becomes  mute,  and  single  notes  are 
only  heard.  Now  appear  a  swarm  of  butterflies 
and  beautiful  insects,  delighting  the  eye  with  the 
same  change  of  gorgeous  colours.  Giraffes,  ante- 
lopes, and  other  animals,  browse  upon  the  plains  in 
the  full  enjoyment  of  life.  But  all  these  charms 
soon  disappear,  for,  under  the  operation  of  the  un- 
healthy climate,  all  cheerfulness  of  spirits  fades  in 
opposition  to  the  resolute  efforts  of  the  will,  and 
anxiety  befalls  man  and  robs  him  of  all  his  rest. 
Debility  of  stomach,  nausea,  disinclination  for  food, 
in  short,  all  the  precursory  symptoms  of  disease, 
deprive  him  of  every  enjoyment  which  the  beauties 


10  SOIL   AND   CLIMATE. 

of  nature  might  afford ;  and,  in  a  short  time,  he  is 
stretched  upon  the  bed  of  sickness,  from  which  no 
stranger  is  entirely  exempt ;  thus,  of  all  the  Euro- 
peans who  have  visited  these  regions,  and  sojourned 
there  for  any  time,  but  very  few  have  escaped  with 
their  lives,  as  far  as '  our  observations  at  present 
reach;  for  the  miasmata  with  which  the  air  is  im- 
pregnated, arising  from  the  morasses,  the  unwhole- 
some water,  the  damp  south  winds,  penetrating  to 
the  very  nerves,  all  co-operate  to  wear  out  the 
thread  of  life ;  and  every  one  hastens,  if  it  be,  in- 
deed, in  his  power,  to  quit  this  unhealthy  climate 
as  quickly  as  he  possibly  can.  Do  not  imagine  that 
the  showers  clear  the  atmosphere,  as  is  the  case  in 
Europe,  for  they  are  immediately  followed  by  in- 
tense heat,  which,  during  my  residence  in  the  coun- 
try attained  a  degree  of  30°  R.=99°  Fahrenheit. 

December  and  January  are  the  most  healthy 
months,  but  the  nights  are  then  so  cold  that  the 
thermometer  frequently  falls  to  8°,  or  even  4°  R., 
(50°  or  41°  F.,)  especially  shortly  before  sunrise.  This 
rapid  change  from  the  extremes  of  heat  and  cold, 
and  the  pernicious  vapours,  are  very  deleterious  in 
their  effect  on  the  constitution  of  man,  especially 
on  the  health  of  strangers  coming  from  the  northern 
districts  of  Egypt  or  from  Europe  ;  and,  indeed,  few 
men  can  ever  totally  accommodate  themselves  to 
this  climate. 


HISTORY.  1  1 


CHAPTER  II. 


HISTORY. 


EVERY  one  will  agree  that  it  is  no  easy  matter 
to  write  the  history  of  a  country,  or,  rather,  of  a 
province,  whose  inhabitants  live  in  a  state  of  utter 
ignorance,  and  care  little  for  the  occurrences  which 
took  place  but  half  the  period  of  the  life  of  man 
before  them.  There  exist,  moreover,  no  chronicles 
capable  of  giving  information  on  any  event  which 
might  serve  as  reference;  thus  I  was  unable  to  ex- 
tend my  researches,  or  to  learn  more  than  was  com- 
municated to  me  by  a  faquir,*  seventy-eight  years 
of  age,  who  appeared  to  me  worthy  of  belief,  and 
who  had  been  an  eye-witness  of  all  the  recent 
events. 

Kordofan  takes  its  name  from  a  mountain,  situ- 
ate at  three  and  a  half  hours'  march  to  the  south- 
east of  Lobeid.  The  aborigines  are  negroes  from 
Nubia,  who.  even  at  the  present  time,  inhabit  many 
parts  of  Kordofan.  The  word  Kordofan  it>elt'  i- 
of  Nubian  derivation.  Three  tribes  subsequently 
immigrated:  the  Iladejat,  el  Giomme,  and  Bederie. 

*  A  hermit,  and  also  a  schoolmaster. 


12  HISTORY. 

The  period  of  this  immigration,  however,  cannot  be 
definitely  determined.  These  three  nomadic  tribes 
distributed  themselves  over  the  country  round  about 
Mount  Kordofan,  occupied  themselves  with  cattle- 
breeding,  and  each  tribe  had  its  sheikh,  or  magis- 
trate ;  but  from  these  three  tribes,  collectively,  a  head 
was  chosen,  who  acted  as  impartial  judge  in  all  ques- 
tions of  difficulty,  and,  in  fact,  as  the  last  authority. 
This  people  became,  towards  the  middle  of  the  last 
century,  better  acquainted  with  Sennaar.  The  King  of 
Sennaar,  namely,  sent,  in  the  year  1779,  the  Sheikh 
Nacib,  with  two  thousand  cavalry,  to  take  possession 
of  the  country,  and  the  tribes  surrendered,  with  a 
pretty  good  grace,  to  their  fate,  without  offering 
much  resistance.  Thus  they  remained  for  about  five 
years,  under  the  government  of  Sennaar.  A  Melek 
was  instituted,  and  the  people  felt  themselves  happy 
under  his  government.  Several  Arab  tribes,  and 
people  from  Sennaar  and  Dongola,  immigrated  into 
the  country,  and  agriculture  and  commerce  began 
to  flourish.  Darfour  now  directed  its  attention  to- 
wards this  province,  and  entered  on  a  campaign, 
in  which  the  Melek-el-Hashma  .was  driven  out  of 
Sennaar,  and  expelled  the  country  for  ever.  Me- 
leks  now  governed  this  country  in  the  name  of  the 
Sultan  of  Darfour,  up  to  the  year  1821,  during  thirty- 
five  years  of  the  reign  of  Mehemed  Ibn  Fadels. 
During  this  epoch  the  country  was  also  prosperous; 
the  inhabitants  lived  in  peace,  and  were  not  trou- 
bled with  taxes  ;  the  merchants  were  exempt  from 


HISTORY.  l:J 

all  duties,  and  the  tribute  paid  was  a  voluntary  pre- 
sent to  the  Sultan  of  Dart'our. 

Bara,  the  second  commercial  town  of  importance 
in  the  country,  was  built  by  the  Dongolavi ;  tribes 
immigrated  from  the  most  distant  parts,  and  this 
province  enjoyed  a  high  degree  of  prosperity, 
under  the  really  mild  government  of  Darfour. 
Commerce  extended  in  all  directions;  caravans 
brought  the  produce  from  Abyssinia,  the  interior 
of  Africa,  and  from  Egypt,  into  the  two  towns  of 
Lobeid  and  Bara,  whence  the  greater  part  was 
again  transported  into  other  countries.  Abundance 
might  be  said  to  reign  everywhere,  and  there  was 
no  want  of  any  necessaries,  whilst  all  were  wealthy, 
and  even  the  women  of  the  less  opulent  inhabitants 
wore  golden  rings  in  their  noses  and  ears,  and  many 
even  golden  bracelets  and  silver  anklets  round  their 
feet.  No  other  metal  but  gold  or  silver  was  to  be 
MTM  in  the  decoration  of  the  women,  and  many 
female  slaves  even  wore  gold  about  their  persons. 
Agriculture  and  rattle-breeding  flourished,  and  there 
were  few  inhabitants  in  the  country  who  did  not, 
to  a  certain  extent,  devote  themselves  to  commerce. 
The  whole  population,  in  fact,  lived  free  from  care, 
and  was  wealthy ;  singing  and  dancing  resounded 
from  place  to  place  ;  in  short,  this  was  the  golden 
nuv  of  Kordofan. 

This  >tate  of  happiness  was  not,  however,  of  long 
duration,  for  in  the  year  1821  Mehemed  Ali  sent 
his  son-in-law,  the  notorious  Defturdar.  with  a 


14  HISTORY. 

brigade  of  four  thousand  five  hundred  infantry  and 
cavalry,  attended  by  eight  hundred  Bedouins  and 
eight  pieces  of  artillery,  to  subject  this  country  to 
his  power.  The  people,  apprized  of  his  intention, 
prepared  themselves  to  the  utmost  of  their  power 
for  defence.  The  Melek  Moosalem  marched  out 
with  his  troops  to  meet  the  Defturdar  at  Bara, — a 
march  of  twelve  hours  from  Lobeid.  His  numerous 
but  irregular  army  was  well  provided  with  every 
species  of  warlike  weapons,  excepting  fire-arms,  which 
were  little  or  not  at  all  known  in  the  country.  The 
cavalry,  like  the  old  Numidian  equestrian  troops, 
wore  a  shirt  of  mail,  and  pointed  helmet  without 
a  vizor  on  their  heads,  and  bore  a  double-edged 
sword  thirty-six  inches  in  length.  The  horses  were 
caparisoned  with  plates  of  copper.  The  infantry  were 
nearly  naked  ;  armed  simply  with  a  shield  and  spear, 
and  but  a  small  party  of  them  with  two-edged 
swords,  (turbatsh,}  and  a  species  of  tomahawk.  The 
battle  was  fierce  and  bloody.  The  men  of  Kordo- 
fan  rushed  with  fury  upon  the  foe,  and  defended 
their  freedom  with  a  total  disregard  of  death  ;  even 
women  participated  in  the  fray.  Hundreds  of  the 
combatants  fell  struck  by  the  balls  of  the  enemy ;  the 
wounded  placed  their  fingers  in  their  wounds,  un- 
able to  understand  how  they  could  have  been  hurt, 
without  having  been  touched  by  a  weapon  ;  so  igno- 
rant were  they  of  the  use  of  fire-arms.  Infuriated 
they  flung  their  spears  at  the  cannons  ;  and,  having 
succeeded  in  capturing  a  gun  for  a  short  time,  sought 
to  revenge  themselves  on  it  for  the  destruction  it 


HISTORY.  15 

IKK  I  poured  forth,  by  attacking  it  with  their  swords. 
The  battle  remained  for  a  long  time  undecided. 
The  Defturdar  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  his 
cavalry,  and,  although  ill,  would  not  leave  the  field. 
Several  attacks  were  valiantly  repulsed.  The  Be- 
douins put  the  Turks  to  the  blush  by  their  bravery  ; 
where  the  battle  raged  hottest,  these  children  of 
the  desert  we're  to  be  seen  discomfiting  the  enemy 
most.  Victory  inclined  sometimes  to  the  side  of 
the  Turks,  sometimes  to  the  side  of  the  men  of 
Kordofan,  but  it  yet  remained  doubtful.  The  Turks 
were  sometimes  sorely  pushed ;  a  Sheikh,  however, 
of  the  Bedouins,  from  the  race  of  Gemeat,  was  for- 
tunate enough  to  lay  Moosalem,  the  leader  of  the 
Kordofanese,  prostrate  with  a  pistol  shot ;  his  death 
decided  the  battle.  The  army  of  Kordofan,  depriv- 
ed of  its  leader,  turned  and  took  to  flight ;  they 
were  pursued  by  the  Turkish  cavalry,  and  many  of 
them  killed  on  this  route.  Amongst  the  dead  on 
the  field  of  battle  three  women  were  even  i'ound, 
who  had  taken  an  active  part  in  the  fight  for  their 
freedom.  On  the  second  day  after  this  battle,  the 
Defturdar  entered  Lobeid  with  his  victorious  army. 
The  town  was  plundered,  and  nearly  wholly  sacked  ; 
the  Defturdar  found  immeasurable  treasure  in  this 
place,  which  this  avaricious  tyrant  immediately  ap- 
propriated to  himself.  The  country  surrendered 
without  further  resistance,  excepting  the  mountain  of 
"  Dyre,"  situated  at  twenty  hour*'  march  from  Lobeid, 
which  has  retained  its  freedom  to  the  present  dav. 
The  Turkish  army  suffered  deprivations  of  all  kinds: 


16  HISTORY. 

tlic  greater  part  fell  victims  to  the  climate,  and  but 
few  survived  who  could  withstand  its  pernicious  in- 
fluence, and  thus  escaped  with  their  lives. 

Kordofan,  excepting  the  free  Nuba,  is  now  divid- 
ed into  five  districts ;  a  Casheff,  or  captain,  presid- 
ing over  each ;  a  colonel,  resident  in  Lobeid,  is 
governor  of  the  province,  and  no  pen  can  describe 
to  what  oppression  the  country  is  now  subjected ; 
all  signs  of  wealth  have  entirely  disappeared,  and  it 
is,  as  it  were,  drained  by  the  Turks,  who  will  not 
suffer  any  private  person  to  attain  the  slightest 
degree  of  opulence.  Many  of  the  natives,  tired  of 
this  oppression,  have  emigrated  with  all  their  pos- 
sessions, and  sought  refuge  either  in  Darfour,  or  in 
Takeli;  and  even  as  lately  as  the  year  1838  the 
inhabitants  of  six  villages  have  left  the  country. 
Nothing  is  now  discernible  but  poverty  and  misery ; 
inhabitants  of  even  moderate  means  are  not  to  be 
met  with,  if  we,  perhaps,  except  some  few  Djelabi.* 

The  various  tribes  inhabiting  the  country  at  pre- 
sent are  the  following :  Hadejat,  el  Giomme,  Bede- 
rie,  Shiswaba,  el  Etonian,  Ogendiab,  Birget,  Dombab, 
Almakaita,  Elberiab,  Hassenie,  Hawara,  Felata, 
Denagle  or  Dongolavi,  Darhammer,  Abusanun,  Dar- 
hami,  Serauy,  Freseh,  Basaue,  el  Maramera,  Volet  el 
Angon,  Czahalin,  Kubbabeesh  (Sheikh  Sale),  Bene- 
cira,  Hababin  (Sheikh  Abdel  Mahmud),  Elhauwas- 

*  Slave  Merchants;  Merchants  in  general;  called,  also,  Dje- 
labs,  Gelabs,  and  Jelabs.  Vid.  "  Legh's  Narrative  of  a  Journey 
in  Egypt  and  the  Countries  beyond  the  Cataracts ;"  and,  also,  the 
Journal  of  Captain  Light — Tr. 


HISTORY.  17 

ma  (Sheikh  Moosa),  el  Messerie  (Sheikh  Labaied), 
Koncieri  or  Darfurer,  Pergu,  and  Nas-Gioffon  ;* 
hut  these  people  may  be  arranged  collectively  under 
three  heads,  namely :  the  Negroes ;  the  Bakkari 
and  Arabs  or  free  people  ;  and  the  Dongolavi.  All 
these  various  tribes  differ  in  their  manners  and 
customs,  if  not  totally,  at  least  to  a  certain  extent, 
and  speak  thirteen  dialects  and  languages  among 
them. 

The  total  population  of  Kordofan  may  be  com- 
puted at  400,000  souls,  excluding  the  nomadic  Bak- 
kari. The  Defturdar  did  all  in  his  power  to  de- 
grade this  country,  and  his  name  is,  even  at  the  pre- 
sent day,  a  word  of  terror  to  the  natives.  Terribly, 
indeed,  the  tyrant  abused  his  authority  in  this  un- 
happy country ;  no  pen  can  describe  the  cruelties 
which  he  perpetrated  in  the  province.  Human  nature 
revolts  at  hearing  the  inventions  of  this  ruffian,  prac- 
tised upon  his  unfortunate  victims  for  the  mere  gratifi- 
cation of  his  passion  of  cruelty.  I  should  not  have 
believed  every  rumour,  or  have  regarded  the  ac- 
counts I  heard  of  the  atrocities  of  this  man,  for  the 
most  part,  in  the  light  of  fiction,  if  I  had  not  re- 
ceived corroborating  evidence  in  all  the  districts  of 
Kordofan,  Sennaar  and  Egypt,  through  which  T 
travelled  ;  tales  the  more  worthy  of  credit,  inasmuch 
as  many  persons  are  yet  living  who  were  not  only 

1  The  German  orthography  has  been  generally  followed,  as  it  is 
impossible  to  give  the  exact  spelling  of  these  names,  without  being 
furnished  with  the  Arab  characters, — TR, 


18  HISTORY. 

eye-witnesses  uf  all  these  deeds  of  horror,  but  even 
themselves  sufferers  by  his  cruelty. 

I  may,  perhaps,  be  permitted  to  illustrate  a  few 
traits  in  the  character  of  this  ruthless  tyrant  by 
narrating  some  of  his  feats ;  it  will  then  become 
evident,  that  this  flourishing  country  could  but  sink 
in  a  very  short  time,  as  the  natural  consequence  of 
his  oppressive  tyranny ;  and  that  a  considerable 
period  must  elapse  before  it  will  be  able  to  recover 
itself  but  slightly, 

A  soldier  who  had  stolen  a  sheep  from  a  peasant 
was  caught  in  the  very  act.  He  not  only  refused  to 
return  the  stolen  goods,  but  even  maltreated  the 
peasant.  Confiding  in  the  equity  of  his  cause,  the 
latter  thought  he  should  more  probably  have  justice 
done  him  by  the  governor  than  by  any  one  else,  and 
entered  a  complaint  against  the  soldier.  The  Def- 
turdar  listened  very  patiently  to  the  story ;  but,  when 
the  peasant  had  finished,  the  tyrant  accosted  him  in 
an  angry  voice,  with  the  words  :  "  And  with  these 
trifles  you  trouble  me  ?"  Then  turning  to  his  atten- 
dants he  ordered  the  peasant  to  be  brought  before 
the  kadi ;  they  understood  immediately  that  he 
meant  by  the  kadi,  a  cannon,  carried  the  poor  wretch 
immediately  off,  and  bound  him  to  the  mouth  of  a 
gun  which  was  instantly  fired. 

His  very  servants,  consisting  not  only  of  slaves, 
but  of  free  Arabs  and  Turks,  although  they  might 
be  regarded  as  his  executioners,  stood  in  great  awe* 
of  him,  for  he  punished  the  slightest  offence  of 
which  they  might  be  guilty  with  every  imaginable 


HISTORY.  19 

species  of  cruelty.  Thus  it  happened  that  one  of 
these  servants  was  tempted  to  dip  his  finger  into  a 
dish  to  taste  it.  The  Defturdar,  unfortunately,  ob- 
served the  act.  He  demanded  of  the  unhappy  man, 
in  an  ironical  tone,  whether  the  dish  were  sweet  or 
sour?  The  servant  was  naturally  mute  with  fear. 
The  Defturdar  now  ordered  him  to  be  nailed  by  the 
tongue  to  the  door  and  his  face  to  be  smeared  with 
honey,  in  order,  as  he  expressed  himself,  to  stimulate 
liis  gustatory  faculties.  In  this  position  the  unfor- 
tunate man  had  to  pass  two  full  hours.  It  took  a 
long  time  before  he  recovered,  and  a  variety  of 
remedies  were  required  to  heal  his  tongue. 

A  seyss  or  groom,  wThose  office  is,  according  to 
custom  in  Egypt,  to  run  before  the  rider,  was  inca- 
pable of  keeping  up  with  the  Defturdar  from  abso- 
lute fatigue,  in  a  long  and  quick  trot.  The  tyrant 
struck  him  with  his  whip  to  quicken  his  pace.  The 
unfortunate  man,  who  was,  however,  quite  exhausted, 
as  may  be  supposed,  did  not  become  more  active 
after  this  remedy  had  been  applied.  For  this  crime 
the  unnatural  barbarian  had  his  feet  bound  to  the 
tail  of  a  horse,  and  ordered  the  animal  to  be  driven 
through  the  streets  of  Lobeid  by  two  other  seyss. 
The  unhappy  groom  would,  no  doubt,  have  met 
with  his  death  in  this  manner,  were  not  the  streets 
paved  merely  with  fine  sand;  thus  he  received  many 
wounds,  but  none  which  proved  mortal.  The  horse, 
unaccustomed  to  such  usage,  turned  suddenly  round, 
and  struck  at  the  unfortunate  seyss,  who.  in 

c  2 


20  HISTORY. 

ration,  seized  the  animal  with  all  his  remaining 
strength  by  the  head  ;  and  to  save  himself  bit  into 
its  upper  lip.  No  attention  was  at  first  paid  to  this 
slight  wound,  but  in  a  short  time  the  head  of  the 
horse  began  to  swell,  and  it  eventually  died.  The 
seyss  wrho  was  covered  with  wounds,  however,  sur- 
vived the  torture. 

A  man  gave  his  neighbour,  in  a  quarrel,  a  box  on 
the  ears ;  the  latter  brought  a  complaint  against 
him  before  the  Defturdar.  "  With  which  hand  didst 
thou  strike  thy  neighbour?"  asked  the  tyrant. 
"  With  the  right,"  answered  the  peasant.  "  Well," 
replied  the  Defturdar,  "  that  thou  mayst  not  forget 
it,  I  shall  have  the  flesh  removed  from  the  palm  of 
that  hand."  This  order  was  immediately  executed. 
"  Now  return  to  thy  work,"  said  the  Defturdar  to 
the  sufferer,  who,  writhing  with  pain,  replied :  "  In 
this  state  I  cannot  work." — "What!"  exclaimed 
the  tyrant  in  a  rage  ;  "  thou  darest  to  contradict 
me  !  cut  his  tongue  out,  it  is  rather  too  long  !"  and 
this  operation  was  also  immediately  performed,  with- 
out consideration  of  the  tortures  to  which  he  had 
been  previously  subjected. 

The  Defturdar  one  day  observed,  that  some  one 
had  taken  a  pinch  of  snuff  out  of  his  box  during  his 
absence  ;  his  suspicion  lighted  upon  his  valet ;  he, 
therefore,  on  a  subsequent  occasion,  confined  a  fly 
in  his  box  and  leaving  it  in  his  divan  went  into 
another  room,  and  ordered  his  servant  to  fetch  some- 
thing from  the  chamber  in  which  he  had  put  down 


HISTORY.  21 

the  box.  The  servant  fell  into  the  snare,  wa> 
really  tempted  to  take  a  pinch,  and  the  fly  escaped 
without  being  observed.  In  a  short  time  the  Def- 
turdar  returned  to  the  room,  found  that  the  fly  had 
escaped  from  its  confinement,  and  immediately 
asked  the  servant  "Who  had  opened  the  box?" — 
"  I,  sir,"  he  confidently  replied ;  "  I  took  a  pinch." 
This  liberty  he  paid  with  his  life  :  the  ruffian  had 
him  flogged  to  death. 

A  negro  bought  milk  of  a  women  for  five  paras,* 
drank  it,  but  forgot  the  payment ;  the  woman  com- 
plained to  the  Defturdar,  who  happened  to  be  in  the 
neighbourhood.  "  Well,"  said  he,  "  I  will  imme- 
diately investigate  the  affair,"  and  ordered  the  offend- 
ing negro  to  be  instantly  brought  before  him.  When 
he  appeared,  he  asked  him,  if  he  had  bought  milk 
of  that  woman  and  not  paid  for  it  ?  The  negro  in 
fear  denied  it.  The  barbarian  immediately  ordered 
the  abdomen  of  the  negro  to  be  cut  open,  to  see 
whether  his  stomach  contained  the  milk.  It  was, 
indeed,  found;  whereupon  he  quietly  said  to  the 
woman  :  "  Thou  art  right,  take  these  five  paras,  and 
now  go  thy  ways." 

In  his  garden  the  Defturdar  had  a  den,  in  which 
he  kept  a  lion;  the  animal  became  gradually  96 

*  Accounts,  it  would  appear,  are  kept  in  current  piastres  of 
Egypt,  each  piastre  being  equivalent  to  forty  paras.  Fifteen  and 
a  half  or  sixteen  piastres  are  =  one  Spanish  dollar ;  hence  one 
piastre  =  three  pence  halfpenny  of  English  money,  and  five  paras 
would,  therefore,  be  about  one  halfpenny  English.  For  further  in- 
formation vide  Encyclopaedia  Britanica,  vol.  iii.  Article  Egypt. 


22  HISTORY. 

tame  that  he  ran  about  at  liberty  in  the  grounds,  and 
followed  his  master  like  a  dog.  Of  this  tame  lion 
the  tyrant  made  use  to  frighten  the  people  who 
came  before  him,  a  species  of  wanton  sport  in  which 
he  took  the  greatest  pleasure.  If  it  so  happened  that 
no  stranger  came  to  visit  him  during  the  hour  in 
which  he  engaged  himself  in  his  garden,  he  ordered 
his  attendants  to  bring  any  person  they  might  meet 
on  the  high  roads  to  him.  The  invitation  was  suffi- 
cient in  itself  to  frighten  any  one  to  death  ;  but 
when  an  unfortunate  man  in  the  greatest  trepida- 
tion entered  the  garden,  and  in  absolute  fear  of  his 
life  creeping  along  the  earth,  approached  the  Deftur- 
dar,  he  set  the  lion  at  him,  and  the  poor  fellow,  of 
course,  fell  senseless  to  the  ground  at  the  sight 
of  the  wild  beast.  This  was  now  his  greatest 
delight ;  for,  although  the  animal  did  no  harm,  it 
was  sufficient  to  frighten  the  most  courageous  man 
to  be  brought  in  close  contact  with  a  rampant  lion. 
Before  this  animal  was  quite  domesticated,  and 
whilst  it  was  yet  kept  in  confinement,  one  of  the 
gardener's  assistants  was  guilty  of  some  error,  of 
which  the  superintendant  complained  to  the  Deftur- 
dar.  In  no  case  dilatory  in  passing  judgment,  he 
ordered  the  accused,  without  going  into  details,  or 
listening  even  to  the  full  explanation  of  the  case,  to 
be  cast  into  the  lion's  den.  This  order  was  imme- 
diately complied  with  ;  the  beast,  however,  treated 
the  poor  condemned  wretch  like  a  second  Daniel ; 
it  not  only  did  him  no  harm,  but,  to  the  astonish- 


HISTORY.  23 

meiit  of  all  beholders,  licked  his  hands.  The  gar- 
dener's assistant  was  not  the  animal's  attendant, 
but  had  occasionally  thrown  some  of  his  bread  into 
the  den  in  passing.  The  noble  animal  had  not  for- 
gotten this  kindness,  and  spared  his  benefactor's  life. 
The  Defturdar,  on  hearing  this,  was  by  no  means 
pleased;  but  bloodthirsty  as  ever,  and  without 
feeling  the  slightest  appreciation  for  this  act  of 
generosity,  ordered  the  lion  to  be  kept  fasting  during 
the  whole  of  the  day,  and  the  delinquent  to  remain 
in  confinement,  thinking  in  the  anger  of  ungratified 
rage,  to  force  the  beast  to  become  the  executioner  of 
its  benefactor.  But  even  hunger  could  not  over- 
come the  magnanimity  of  the  royal  animal,  and  the 
poor  gardener  remained  the  whole  day  unhurt  in 
the  den  with  the  lion.*  In  the  evening  he  was 
liberated,  but  the  unfortunate  man  did  not  long 
escape  the  vengeance  of  the  tyrant,  who,  meeting 
him  one  day  in  the  garden,  where  he  had  brushed  up 
a  heap  of  leaves,  accosted  him  with,  "  Dog,  thou  art 
so  bad  that  a  lion  will  not  eat  thee,  but  now  thou  hast 
made  thine  own  grave."  Hereupon  he  commanded 
him  to  carry  the  dry  leaves  to  an  oven,  and  then  to 
creep  in  himself.  When  this  order  was  executed 
the  tyrant  had  the  leaves  lighted,  and  the  poor  wretch 
expired  under  the  most  horrid  tortures. 

A  Fellah   (peasant)  owed  the  government  forty 

» 

*  This  noble  animal  will  probably  be  found  stuffed  in  the  royal 
Museum  at  Munich,  for  Mehemed  AH  presented  it  to  the  Conseillier 
d'Etat  Schubert  who  was  at  Cairo  in  the  year  1836. 


24  HISTORY. 

maamle,*  the  sheikh  of  his  village  had  his  last 
ox  seized,  the  fellah  declaring  himself  incapable 
of  paying.  The  beast  was  slaughtered  and  divided 
into  forty  parts :  the  butcher  received  the  head 
and  skin  for  his  trouble,  and  the  remaining  forty 
parts  were  sold  at  one  maamle  each,  to  the  in- 
habitants of  the  village  promiscuously.  The  meat, 
as  may  be  supposed,  was  quickly  sold  at  this  low 
price.  The  poor  peasant  now  appeared  with  a  com- 
plaint before  the  Defturdar,  assuring  him  that  the  ox 
was  worth  more  than  forty  maamle.  The  Deftur- 
dar proceeded  with  all  speed  to  the  village,  to  in- 
vestigate the  matter  on  the  spot.  Having  convinc- 
ed himself  of  the  truth,  he  ordered  the  sheikh,  the 
butcher,  and  all  those  persons  who  had  bought  a 
portion  of  the  confiscated  ox,  to  be  called  together, 
and  reproached  the  sheikh,  in  presence  of  all  for 
his  unlawful  conduct.  The  butcher  now  received 
the  order  to  slaughter  the  sheikh  and  to  divide  his 
body  into  forty  parts.  Every  former  purchaser  was 
obliged  to  buy  a  part  at  a  price  of  one  maamle,  and 
to  carry  the  flesh  home  with  him.  The  money  was 
handed  over  to  the  Fellah  as  an  indemnification  for 
the  ox  which  had  been  taken  from  him. 

At  the  feast  of  the  Baeram.  f  all  the  servants  and 

*  A  coin  which  is  no  longer  current,  but  was  equal  to  two 
piastres  ten  para,  about  twelve  and  a  half  kreuzer  current  zz  eight 
pence  of  English  n^oney. — TR. 

t  A  solemn  feast  kept  by  the  Moslemin  j  the  great  Baeram,  com- 
mences on  the  10th  of  Dhu  Ihajia  ;  the  little  Baeram  is  held  at  the 
close  of  the  fast  Ramadhan — TH. 


HISTORY.  t>5 

98,  eighteen  in  number,  went  before  the  Defturdar 
to  offer  their  congratulations  according  to  custom,  and 
begged  at  the  same  time  for  a  pair  of  new  shoes. 
-  You  shall  have  them,"  said  he.  He  now  had  the 
farrier  called,  and  commanded  him  to  make  eighteen 
pairs  of  horse-shoes  to  fit  the  feet  of  his  servants; 
these  were  ready  on  the  next  day,  whereupon  he 
ordered  two  shoes  to  be  nailed  to  the  soles  of  the 
feet  of  each  of  the  eighteen  servants  without  mercy. 
Nine  of  them  died  in  a  short  time  of  mortification  ; 
he  then  had  the  survivers  unshod,  and  consigned 
them  to  the  care  of  a  medical  man. 

But,  enough  of  the  atrocities  perpetrated  by  this 
tiger  in  human  shape,  cruelties  which  are  neither  to 
be  justified  nor  excused.  Volumes  might  be  filled 
with  instances  of  tyranny  of  which  this  barbarian 
was  guilty  in  the  conquered  country  of  Kordofan,  in 
Sennaar,  and  Egypt.  No  single  day  passed  without 
its  tribute  to  his  blood-thirsty  cruelty.  His  power 
of  invention  of  tortures  for  his  unfortunate  victims 
was  extraordinary,  and  he  was  always  capable  of 
lighting  upon  some  new  mode  of  gratifying  his  re- 
vengeful disposition.  His  name  will  remain  unfor- 
gotten  for  ages  in  Kordofan,  Sennaar,  and  Egypt, 
and  is  yet  an  object  of  terror  to  all  who  hear  it. 
Mdirnied  All,  wearied  of  the  complaints  which 
daily  reached  him  against  this  tyrant,  at  last  had  a 
bowl  of  poison  presented  to  him.  \  myself  saw 
sr \eral  of  the  victims  of  his  cruelty  who  had  been 
fortunate  enough  to  escape  with  their  lives,  but 


26  HISTORY. 

wandered  about  the  country  as  cripples,  begging  their 
daily  bread  from  their  neighbours,  deprived  of  their 
noses,  ears,  or  tongues,  or  with  their  eyes  put  out. 

We  may  now  easily  imagine  what  fate  befel  this 
ill-starred  country,  when  it  became  subject  to  the 
Turks.  In  former  days,  the  inhabitants  lived  in 
freedom,  without  care,  in  the  consciousness  of  secu- 
rity of  property,  or  at  least  of  life  ;  but,  when  the 
Turks  gained  possession  of  this  province,  a  total 
change  took  place ;  from  that  moment,  the  right 
of  property  ceased  to  exist,  and  the  government 
considered  all  possessions  as  its  own.  Add  to  this 
the  inhuman  conduct  of  the  Defturdar,  which 
brought  the  people  to  the  verge  of  despair ;  for 
the  slightest  suspicion  that  any  one  subject  had 
amassed  a  small  fortune,  either  in  goods,  money, 
or  cattle,  was  sufficient  to  bring  him,  under  some 
pretext,  to  death,  in  order  to  be  able  to  confiscate 
his  property.  The  Defturdar  was  insatiable ;  he 
robbed  everything,  if  he  only  knew  where  to  find  it, 
and  had  thus  collected  immeasurable  wealth  in  a 
very  short  space  of  time. 

The  government  is,  indeed,  at  present,  rather 
more  lenient,  and  its  officers  have  received  a  check 
in  their  arbitrary  abuse  of  power ;  but  the  distance 
from  the  seat  of  government  is  too  great  to  render 
the  superior  authorities  cognizant  of  all  abuses, 
too  many  of  which,  unfortunately,  yet  afflict  this 
doomed  province. 


GOVERNMENT.  27 


CHAPTER  III. 

GOVERNMENT. 

THE  form  of  government  of  Kordofan  resem- 
bles that  of  other  countries  under  Egyptian  sway, 
that  is  to  say,  it  is  despotic ;  but  the  inhabitants 
of  this  province  are  subjected  to  particularly  severe 
oppression,  being  situate,  as  we  have  above  ob- 
served, at  so  great  a  distance  from  the  seat  of  go- 
vernment, that  it  indeed  almost  amounts  to  an 
impossibility  to  proffer  a  complaint  to  the  first 
authorities. 

The  people  feel  themselves,  therefore,  extremely 
miserable,  the  more  so  since,  under  the  dominion 
of  Sennaar  and  Darfour,  neither  property  nor  life 
were  endangered,  as  they  are  at  present.  The 
difference  may  be  deduced  from  the  fact,  that,  in 
former  times,  nearly  all  the  women  wore  ornaments 
of  gold,  a  metal  which  is  now  rarely,  or  never  seen 
in  the  province. 

Under  the  government  of  Darfour,  there  were 
no  taxes,  no  duties,  trade  was  five,  and  everywhere 
reigned  opulence.  Now  the  reverse  is  observed. 
Duties  and  imposts  of  every  description  <>ppres> 


28  GOVERNMENT. 

the  people,  and  have  reduced  them  to  abject  po- 
verty. The  old  proverb,  "  Where  a  Turk  sets  his 
foot  no  grass  will  grow,"  is,  in  this  province,  ade- 
quately exemplified.  The  originator  of  all  this 
misery  was,  undoubtedly,  the  Defturdar,  the  con- 
queror of  this  country.  With  the  conquest,  go- 
vernment was  out  of  the  question,  for  every  one 
was  subjected  to  arbitrary  and  tyrannical  treat- 
ment. Mehemed  Ali,  indeed,  recalled  the  Def- 
turdar, but  the  people  experienced,  on  the  whole,  no 
material  relief  by  this  measure,  for  the  subsequent 
governors  were  by  no  means  idle  in  scraping  trea- 
sure together,  and  gradually  exhausted  all  the  sap 
from  this  already  impoverished  country.  The  pro- 
vince is  now  governed  by  the  Bey,  (colonel,)  of 
the  first  regiment  of  the  line,  quartered  at  Lobeid, 
to  whom  the  Casheffs,  (chief  magistrates  of  the  five 
districts,  and  generally  captains  in  the  same  regi- 
ment,) are  subordinate.  The  Bey  is  again  respon- 
sible to  the  Pasha  (general)  of  Khartoom,  who  is, 
at  the  same  time,  governor  of  the  whole  Belled 
Soodan.* 

The  Bey,  or  governor,  is  the  superior  authority 
in  all  civil  and  military  affairs  ;  his  decision  is  per- 
emptory ;  but,  in  matters  of  importance,  orders 
must  be  received  from  Khartoom.  In  judicial 
cases,  the  kadi  passes  judgment,  and  the  governor 
sees  it  executed  ;  this,  however,  is  generally  a  mere 

*  Sennaar  and  Kordofan ;  Dongola  is  also  under  his  sway,  but 
does  not  belong  to  the  Belled  Soodan. 


GOVERNMENT.  29 

Mind,  to  keep  up  the  appearance  of  a  just  admi- 
nistration of  the  law  to  the  people,  for  every  judg- 
ment is  perfectly  arbitrary. 

The  revenue  consists  of  the  ordinary  taxes,  and 
in  the  levy  of  custom  duties,  but  these  are  never 
exacted  in  proper  proportion,  or  after  a  fixed  scale; 
for  when  a  contribution  is  ordered  to  be  levied 
from  Cairo,  the  country  is  generally  forced  to  con- 
tribute double  the  amount, — a  very  natural  conse- 
quence, when  we  consider  that  all  the  government 
situations  are  held  by  officers,  who  purchase  their 
commissions  from  the  governor.  It  is,  of  course, 
an  understood  thing,  that  one  functionary  endea- 
vours to  outbid  the  other,  in  which  practice  he  is 
encouraged  by  the  knowledge,  that  he  will  in  time 
be  able  to  make  good  his  outlay.  They  certainly 
cannot  reckon  on  enjoying  their  privileges  for  any 
length  of  time;  for  if  a  person  present  himself,  and 
pay  a  few  purses  of  money  more,  the  colonel  is  not 
long  in  finding  a  cause  for  turning  one  of  his  former 
employes  out  of  office,  and  conferring  the  vacant 
situation  on  the  new  candidate.  Every  officer,  there- 
fore, endeavours  to  extort  as  much  as  he  possibly 
can  by  oppression,  in  the  shortest  possible  time,  in 
order  to  reimburse  himself  for  his  expenditure,  and 
to  gain  something  by  his  bargain.  Each  casheff,  or 
captain  of  a  district,  is  provided  with  a  few  subor- 
dinate officers,  who  arc  distributed  in  the  distant 
localities.  These  subalterns,  and  the  Sheikhs  d 
Belled,  or  village  magistrates,  must  occasionally 


30  GOVERNMENT. 

make  presents  to  the  casheffs.     The  sheikhs  are  by 
no  means  thoughtless  of  themselves ;  and  lastly,  the 
copts,  who  perform  the  duties  of  secretaries,  all  and 
every  one  prey  upon  the  small  gains  of  the  poor 
inhabitants,  so  that  we  may  easily  conceive  what 
the  unfortunate  people  have  to  suffer.     Mehemed 
Ali,  acquainted  with  the  arbitrary  proceedings  of  the 
governors,  and  subordinate    functionaries,   notwith- 
standing the  great  distance  from  the  scene  of  their 
rapacity,  has  done  everything  in  his  power  to  put  a 
limit  to  these  impositions.     Thus,  in  the  years  1838 
and  1839,  a  greater  part  of  the  employes  were  sum- 
moned  before  a  commission  of  enquiry,  and  sent 
into  different  provinces, — in  short,  everything  was 
done  to  bring  about  a  just  administration,  but  all  in 
vain.     With  the  best  intentions,  the  Viceroy  was 
incapable  of  curing  the  cancer  which  preyed  upon 
the    bowels    of  the    land ;    and    although,    indeed, 
much    of  the    property,  which   had    been   unjustly 
scraped   together,  —  or  we    should  rather  say,  the 
plunder  of  the  government  functionaries, — was  con- 
fiscated ;   the  Viceroy  was,  in  the   end,  the  gainer, 
not  the  people.     To  the  latter,  nothing  is  returned ; 
and  this  restitution,  indeed,  would  be  no  easy  un- 
dertaking,   inasmuch    as    the    individual    sufferers 
could   not   be    readily  found,    and    Mehemed    Ali, 
moreover,  does  not  trouble  himself  in  the  slightest 
about   the    matter.      It    is   true    that   the    country 
swarms  with  spies,  who  observe  every  action  of  the 
government  officers  with  great  accuracy,  and  make 


GOVERNMENT.  31 

their  reports  in  a  higher  quarter i  but  the  state,  in 
tli<>s<>  cases,  confiscates  the  plunder,  as  I  have  before 
mentioned,  and  the  poor  people  receive  no  indemni- 
fication. The  interests  of  the  separate  functionaries 
are,  moreover,  too  closely  united  for  the  one  to 
place  any  impediment  in  the  way  of  the  other. 
The  judges  are  bribed,  and  a  mere  deposition,  or 
loss  of  office,  generally  terminates  the  affair. 
When  the  detected  fraud  is,  however,  too  flagi- 
tious, the  criminated  officer  is  immediately  sent 
into  a  distant  province,  and  then  prosecuted,  in 
order  that  he  may  have  no  opportunity  of  coming  to 
an  understanding  with  his  judges,  or  accusers.  In 
this  case  he  is  certainly  lost ;  but  the  state  confis- 
cates the  proceeds  of  his  rapacity,  and  his  successor 
plunders  and  extorts  again,  as  much  as  he  possibly 
can,  as  long  as  he  can  manage  to  keep  his  actions 
secret. 

An  additional,  and  chief  grievance,  is  the  circum- 
stance of  the  Viceroy  being  obliged  to  treat  the 
governors  with  the  utmost  lenity  and  forbearance; 
for  he  knows  full  well  how  dangerous  it  would  be 
to  irritate  them,  and  thus,  perhaps,  to  goad  them  on 
to  rebellion.  In  one  moment  the  whole  Belled 
Soodan  would  be  lost,  and  not  so  easily  regained. 
The  troops  of  the  garrison  consist  of  native  negroes, 
who  implicitly  obey  those  who  give  them  the  most, 
or  merely  make  them  the  largest  promises,  and  who 
more  especially  treat  them  with  kindness.  The 
country  in  general  detests  the  Viceroy,  believing 


32  GOVERNMENT. 

him  to  be  the  cause  of  all  the  oppression  under 
which  it  groans,  as  it  considers  all  the  acts  of  injus- 
tice, under  which  it  has  to  suffer,  to  be  perpetrated 
by  his  orders.  In  case  of  a  governor,  therefore,  re- 
belling against  the  government,  the  whole  province 
would  instantly  attach  itself  to  his  faction,  if  he 
merely  released  them  of  a  portion  of  their  taxation. 
To  re-conquer  the  country  by  force  of  arms  would 
be  a  more  difficult  matter  than  it  was  twenty  years 
ago ;  we  know  what  resistance  the  negroes  of  Kor- 
dofan  and  Sennaar  offered  the  Turks,  when  armed 
with  spears  and  swords  only ;  and  at  present,  there 
are  15,000  muskets  in  the  arsenal  at  Khartoom, 
which  would  give  the  insurgents  no  small  advantage. 
Mehemed  Ali  knows  all  this  very  well,  and  acts  very 
wisely  in  conciliating  the  governors  :  the  authority  of 
the  latter  is,  therefore,  virtually  far' greater  than  that 
of  the  Viceroy,  and  most  wofully  do  they  use  it  to 
their  advantage  ;  for,  with  few  exceptions,  they  exert 
unlimited  power,  are  masters  over  life  and  death,  as 
also  over  the  property  of  the  people.  A  code  of 
laws  has  certainly  been  instituted,  but  these  are 
totally  disregarded,  and  in  every  case  will  is  law. 
Judgment  is  sometimes  even  passed  according  to 
the  whim  or  fancy  of  the  individual  in  the  most  un- 
justifiable manner.  During  my  residence  in  this 
country,  I  had  the  opportunity  of  convincing  myself 
of  this  fact. 

A  Turk,  who  travelled  with  a  large   quantity  of 
goods,  was  murdered  in  the  desert  of  Bahiouda,* 
*  Between  Ambukol  and  Khartoom. 


GOVERNMENT.  33 

and  robbed  of  his  property.  All  investigations  and 
endeavours  to  detect  the  murderer  proved  fruitli 
thus  much  was.  however.  subMMpiently  discovered, 
that  the  goods  had  been  sold  at  Dart  our,  and  it  wa- 
suspected  that  the  perpetrator  of  the  crime  was 
•M-creted  in  Kordofan.  Several  persons  were  taken 
into  custody,  and  examined,  but  in  vain  ;  the  delin- 
quent could  not  be  discovered.  A  prophetess,  who, 
by  casting  a  handful  of  shells  on  the  sand,  pre- 
tended to  be  able  to  look  into  futurity,  and  to  ex- 
plain the  past,  arrived,  by  means  of  her  mystic  art, 
at  the  conclusion,  that  the  son  of  the  Sheikh  of 
Haraxa  was  the  murderer.  The  result  of  her  sor- 
cery was  imparted  to  the  governor,  Mohammed 
Bey,  in  conversation  over  a  pipe  of  tobacco.  The 
governor,  a  man  of  weak  mind,  who  placed  more 
confidence  in  the  idle  talk  of  an  old  woman,  than  in 
common  sense,  gave  credence  to  this  tale,  and  had 
the  man  accused  instantly  arrested,  and  conducted 
by  a  party  of  soldiers  to  Lobeid ;  he  was  then 
loaded  with  irons,  and  cast  into  prison;  whereupon 
the  investigation  immediately  took  place.  Although 
he  asserted  that  he  was  at  that  time  in  quite'  a  dif- 
ferent place,  and  was  able  to  corroborate  this  state- 
ment by  witnesses,  the  testimony  of  a  fortune-teller 
was  regarded  as  better  evidence,  and  the  unfortu- 
nate man  was  subjected  to  the  most  cruel  torture* 
to  force  a  confession  from  him.  He  was  bound,  by 
order  of  the  governor,  hand  and  foot,  close  to  a 
large  fire,  whence  a  soldier  took  a  burning  branch, 

D 


34  GOVERNMENT. 

and  burnt  his  body ;  he  received  twenty  wounds, 
and  not  until  he  writhed  like  a  worm  with  pain  and 
anger  did  the  governor  put  a  stop  to  the  cruelty. 
The  true  criminal  was  shortly  after  this  discovered, 
and  the  son  of  the  Sheikh,  who  had  been  so  fright- 
fully tortured,  was  now  proved  to  be  innocent ;  but 
no  one  could  alleviate  his  sufferings,  and  any  fur- 
ther compensation  was  totally  out  of  the  question. 

When  an  individual  is  guilty  of  any  offence,  the 
examination  generally  takes  place  as  soon  as  he  is 
arrested,  judgment  is  quickly  passed,  and  instantly 
executed.  Two  circumstances  are,  however,  neces- 
sary for  the  conviction  of  the  party  accused, — 
namely,  detection  in  the  act,  or  confession.  If  he 
plead  not  guilty,  and  deny  the  charge,  he  is  sub- 
mitted to  torture,  and  thus  it  frequently  happens 
that  the  innocent  suffer  for  the  guilty. 

Stealing  a  slave,  an  ox,  a  camel,  an  ass,  &c.,  is 
punished  by  the  loss  of  a  hand.  The  judgment  is 
executed  by  the  first  butcher  casually  met  with  in 
the  streets.  The  delinquent  is  ordered  to  lay  his 
hand  upon  a  block,  in  which  situation  it  is  held 
down  by  two  men :  the  butcher  then  chops  it  off. 
The  stump  is  immediately  thrust  into  a  vessel  con- 
taining butter,  heated  nearly  to  the  boiling  point, 
which  stands  in  readiness,  for  the  purpose  of  stop- 
ping haemorrhage,  and  preventing  mortification,  and 
the  limb  is  then  enveloped  in  a  rag.  In  the  course 
of  ten  minutes  all  is  over,  and  the  sufferer  returns 
home. 


GOVERNMENT.  35 

Murder,  with  the  exception  of  negroes,  is  of  very 
rare  occurrence.  One  single  instance  of  this  crime 
occurred  in  the  year  1838 ;  the  murderer  was 
detected,  and,  after  a  short  examination,  hung  on  a 
gibbet  erected  in  front  of  the  house  of  the  go- 
vernor. In  praise  of  Mehemed  Ali,  it  must  be 
stated  that  there  is  not  at  present  that  danger  for 
an  European  travelling  through  the  country  as  was 
the  case  during  the  time  it  was  under  the  govern- 
ment of  Darfour,  when  no  Djelabi  could  venture  to 
undertake  a  journey  into  this  province,  excepting 
under  the  protection  of  a  considerable  escort.  At 
present,  any  person  may  traverse  the  country  from 
one  end  to  the  other  without  fear.  I  myself,  on 
nearly  all  occasions,  travelled  alone,  or  merely  ac- 
companied by  my  servant,  and  never  met  with  the 
slightest  delay  from  robberies,  or  other  hinderances ; 
on  the  contrary,  I  was  everywhere  received  with 
the  utmost  hospitality  and  courtesy, — the  more  so 
when  it  became  gradually  known  that  I  was  no 
Turk,  although  of  white  colour,  but  a  Frank. 

Cases  of  petty  larceny  are  of  frequent  occur- 
rence ;  for  thieving  is  almost  a  congenital  vice  with 
many  of  the  negroes.  What  they  see  they  wish  to 
possess,  and  if  it  be  not  given  to  them  freely,  they 
will  watch  their  opportunity  of  appropriating  it  to 
themselves;  but  we  never  find  several  persons  con- 
spiring together  to  commit  a  robbery. 

A  single  mountain, — "  Mount  Dyre,"  inhabited 
by  negroes,  who  have  not  yet  been  brought  to  siib- 


36  GOVERNMENT. 

mission,  is  to  be  dreaded;  for  these  people  live 
solely  by  plunder  and  robbery.  They  make  incur- 
sions into  the  neighbouring  country  in  large  bodies, 
even  to  Milbes,  situate  at  three  hours'  march  from 
Lobeid,  and  steal  and  rob  everything  that  comes  in 
their  way,  both  men  find  cattle,  which  they  either 
use  for  their  own  purposes,  or  sell  to  others,  The 
Djelabi,  and  other  travellers,  avoid  this  hill,  by 
making  a  great  circuit,  in  order  to  escape  the 
negroes  of  "  Dyre." 

The  jurisdiction  over  the  offences  and  crimes  of 
slaves,  is  an  affair  sui  generis.  This  class  of  beings 
is  not  looked  upon,  or  treated  as  men,  but  as  cattle. 
The  master  of  a  slave  acts  as  judge  in  cases  of 
offences,  which  the  one  or  the  other  may  commit  in 
his  house.  If  one  slave  murder  or  stab  the  other, 
the  proprietor  must  bear  the  loss,  if  both  the  slaves 
be  his  property;  and  he  can  merely  punish  the 
criminal,  or  sell  him,  if  he  please.  In  this  case,  the 
affair  is  regarded  in  the  same  light  as  when,  in 
Europe,  one  horse  kills  the  other,  both  belonging  to 
the  same  owner.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  mur- 
dered slave  be  the  property  of  another,  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  murderer  must  make  the  loss  good ; 
and  only  if  he  refuse,  or  offer  too  little,  pro- 
ceedings at  law  are  entered  upon, — not  a  crimi- 
nal process  for  murder,  but  a  suit  for  damages. 
Only  in  case  a  slave  murder  a  free  man,  is  he 
ever  brought  to  trial,  and  executed  according  to 
sentence. 


GOVERNMENT.  37 

The  revenue  is  collected  partly  in  money,  partly 
in   kind,  L  e.,  in  products,  or  slaves;    there  is  no 
systematic  arrangement  in  the  mode  in  which  the 
contribution  is  levied;  the  governor  fixes  the  rate, 
and  it  is  the  duty  of  the  casheffs,  and   Sheikhs-el 
Belled,  to  collect  it.     Whosoever  is  suspected  of 
possessing  any  treasure  is  forced  to  give  it  up,  or 
his   cattle,   or  other  property,  is  taken  away  from 
him  by  force.     In  the  year  1838,  the  country  was 
obliged  to  contribute,  in  addition  to  the  imposts  in 
money,  beside  cattle,  butter,  and  slaves,  4,000  ardeb* 
(about   118,000   sacks)   of  doura,f  or   millet;    and 
the  Bakkara  nomadic  tribes,  12,000  oxen,  and  kine. 
Cattle  is  only  received  from  the  villagers  when  they 
cannot  produce  cash ;    a  large  ox  is  then  taken  by 
the  government  to  the  value  of  35  piaster,  (3  fl.,  30 
kr.,  C.M. ;  about  9  shillings  sterling).     During  seve- 
ral years,  8,000  heads  of  horned  cattle  were  annually 
sent  to  Cairo,  the  greater  part  of  which  perished  on 
the  road.    The  government  have  now  had  their  eyes 
opened  to  the  absurdity  of  driving  beasts  so  great  a 
distance,  and  the  transport  of  cattle  to  Cairo  has 
consequently  ceased;  they  are  now  only  driven  to 
Kliartoom.     The  cash  received  as  revenue  proceeds 
from  taxes,  duties,  the  sale  of  slaves,  and  other  pro- 
duce? of  the  country.     It  is  impossible  to  describe 

*  The  ardeb  is  equivalent  to  very  nearly  five  English  bushels. — 
LANE.  Modern  E</>/j>tia>u<,  Library  of  Entertv tut i«i  Knutcledije. — 
Tu. 

f  Holcus  arundinaccus,  or  Sort/hum  vuhjarc,  of  Liniiteus,  and 
Hotcus  Doura,  of  Forskai-1. — Tu. 


38  GOVERNMENT. 

the  cruelty  with  which  the  taxes  and  contributions 
are  collected;  and  it  is  really  wonderful  that  it 
should  be  yet  possible  to  drain  a  country,  where  so 
little  trade  is  carried  on,  of  such  large  sums  annu- 
ally. But  this  state  of  things  cannot  last  long;  for 
the  ready  money  decreases  with  every  year,  and  the 
trade  of  the  country  is  scarcely  worthy  of  considera- 
tion. The  people  will,  in  fact,  eventually  be  obliged 
to  emigrate,  as  they  have  already  from  several  parts, 
or  a  general  insurrection  will  be  the  result ;  this  revo- 
lution would,  indeed,  have  taken  place  in  1838,  if  a 
leader  had  been  forthcoming.  Droughts,  or  excess 
of  rains,  may  cause  the  harvest,  in  many  districts,  to 
fail,  or  the  locusts  may  totally  devour  it ;  the  cattle, 
moreover,  may  fall  a  prey  to  epidemic  diseases ;  but 
none  of  these  circumstances  are  ever  taken  into  con- 
sideration, and  the  contributions  are  levied  without 
mercy  or  compassion.  In  the  year  1838,  the  inhabi- 
tants of  several  villages,  were  forced,  in  consequence 
of  an  unsuccessful  harvest,  to  take  refuge  in  a  forest, 
and  to  live  upon  the  fruit  of  a  tree,  called  Egelit,  and 
on  milk  ;  but  the  government  knew  very  well  where 
to  find  them,  and  took  away  all  their  cattle.  When 
a  village  has  nothing  left  wherewith  to  pay  its 
taxes,  it  is  obliged  to  find  a  certain  number  of 
slaves,  who  are  drafted  as  recruits  into  the  various 
regiments,  or  publicly  sold  ;  in  the  former  case,  the 
government  receives  these  slaves  at  a  value  of  150 
to  300  piasters,  (15  to  30  fl.,  C.M. ;  from  30  shillings 
to  £3  10s.)  a-head  ;  children  at  30  piasters,  or  more ; 


GOVERNMENT.  39 

but  always  below  the  market  price,  in  order  that 
Meliemed  Ali,  the  great  slave-merchant,  may  gain 
^umething  by  the  bargain,  at  the  expense  of  his 
oppressed  subjects.  A  great  portion  of  the  import  < 
is  even  now  paid  in  slaves ;  and  on  these  occasions 
truly  revolting  scenes  frequently  take  place.  Should 
it  ever  happen  that  Mehemed  Ali  puts  an  end  to 
slave-hunting,  as  he  has  confidently  promised,  he 
would  yet  remain  the  most  extensive  slave-mer- 
chant, because  he  endeavours  to  cover  his  revenues 
by  slaves,  and  receives  them  in  lieu  of  money.  It 
is.  indeed,  much  easier  in  this  country  to  find  a 
slave  than  a  dollar  of  ready  money ;  and  this  state 
of  things  is  rather  on  the  increase  than  on  the 
decrease.  With  what  right,  may  I  ask,  is  Mehemed 
Ali  called,  by  many  Europeans,  the  civilizer  of  his 
country,  when  we  have  ample  ppoof  of  his  forcing 
his  people  to  steal  slaves,  in  order  to  be  able  to 
satisfy  his  claims  as  regent !  Many  of  these  subjects 
meet  with  an  untimely  end  in  these  expeditions ; 
for  the  negroes  defend  their  freedom  most  stub- 
bornly. If  a  native  of  Kordofan  lose  his  father,  his 
brother,  or  his  friend,  in  one  of  these  private  depre- 
datory excursions,  he  lays  the  blame  on  the  free 
negroes,  and  endeavours  to  revenge  the  death  of  his 
relative  ;  he  becomes  cruel,  and,  lastly,  stains  himself 
with  the  crime  of  murder,  whilst  the  blame  is  due 
to  no  one  but  Mehemed  Ali,  the  great  slave-trader. 
Even  if  it  were  really  ever  to  happen,  that  the 
transport  of  slaves  to  Cairo  should  cease,  I  have  a 


40  GOVERNMENT. 

strong  suspicion  that  those  slaves  which  Mehemed 
Ali  receives  in  Kordofan,  and  elsewhere,  in  pay- 
ment of  imposts,  would  be  sold  to  the  Djelabi,  to 
be  transported  into  Arabia,  to  which  country  thou- 
sands are  being  daily  sent. 

As  far  as  my  observations  went  during  my  so- 
journ in  this  country,  and  it  is  an  opinion  of  the 
correctness  of  which  I  had  the  opportunity  of 
convincing  myself  in  a  great  measure,  there  are 
many  sources  in  the  state  to  cover  its  revenue, 
without  proceeding  to  such  extreme  and  inhuman 
measures  as  slave-hunting  or  slave-trading.  The 
sugar-cane  grows  here  without  cultivation  and 
thrives  exceedingly.  The  soil  is,  in  many  situa- 
tions, well  adapted  to  the  growth  of  indigo,  and 
the  country  would  yield  many  other  products,  if 
the  experiment  were  made,  and  water  were  not  so 
scarce  as  it  is  in  many  situations.  Although  the 
White  Nile  flows  close  to  the  confines  of  the  pro- 
vince, yet  the  water  of  this  river  could  not  be 
rendered  serviceable  for  the  irrigation  of  Kordofan 
by  means  of  a  canal,  for  the  excavation  of  the 
bed  would  cost  millions  of  money,  and  the  country 
is  so  elevated  that  a  simple  canal  would  not  an- 
swer the  purpose.  No  less  than  twenty  thousand 
heads  of  horned  cattle  might,  with  ease,  be  annu- 
ally sent  to  Egypt,  for  there  is  no  lack  of  pas- 
turage ;  but  the  transport  of  cattle  should  be  in- 
trusted to  the  care  of  more  sensible  people  than  it 
lias  becMi  hitherto,  who  have  acted  entirely  on  their 


GOVERNMENT.  41 

own  discretion.  Mehemed  Ali  has,  further,  not  yet 
made  an  attempt  to  derive  any  benefit  from  the 
large  forests  of  gum  trees  in  Nubia.  They  might 
1)ii  a  source  of  great  profit  to  the  state,  and  would 
prove  far  more  productive  than  those  contemptible 
and  atrocious  slave-hunts.  He  need  only  employ 
the  tenth  part  of  those  troops  whose  services  are 
required  in  these  abominable  excursions  as  inspec- 
tors in  collecting  the  gum,  and  allow  the  negroes 
of  Nubia  small  wages,  as  is  done  in  Kordofan ; 
both  the  state  and  the  people  would  in  this  way 
gain,  and  the  negroes  would  enjoy  their  liberty; 
their  confidence  in  the  government  would  be  aug- 
mented, when  they  came  to  understand  that  they 
were  treated  as  a  free  people  and  not  as  slaves ; 
trade,  commerce,  and  agriculture  would,  by  this 
measure,  receive  a  stimulus  and  improve;  and  every 
man  would  with  pleasure  engage  in  an  undertak- 
ing whence  a  small  profit  might  be  expected,  be- 
cause he  would  not  have  to  tremble  for  his  free- 
dom and  his  life.  The  mountains  of  Nubia  might 
yield  from  ten  to  twenty  thousand  cantari*  of  gum 
of  the  best  quality  annually;  and  Mehemed  Ali 
would  soon  find  out,  that  he  could  with  as  much 
ea>e  obtain  two  cantari  of  gum  as  one  slave,  and 
that  the  acquisition  would  be  attended  with  less 
expense. 

*  The  Cantaro  is=100  Rotoli,  but  the  rotolo  has  different 
weights.  The  former  is=  150ft)  avoirdupois;  the  latter=61,39 
grs.  English,  or,  also,  to  18oz.  avoirdupois. — TR. 


42  GOVERNMENT. 

The  governors  and  government  functionaries  look 
upon  Kordofan  as  their  private  property,  and,  re- 
garding the  inhabitants  as  slaves,  treat  them  as 
such,  in  every  sense  of  the  word ;  thus  the  coun- 
try is  subjected  to  every  possible  species  of  ex- 
tortion. In  the  year  1838,  Mehemed  Ali  deter- 
mined to  undertake  a  journey  to  Sennaar.  Many 
cases  of  oppression  had  probably  reached  his  ears 
which  were  likely  to  lead  to  proceedings,  and 
might  prove  productive  of  considerable  sums.  On 
his  arrival  at  Khartoom,  he  summoned  the  chief 
sheikhs  of  Kordofan  into  his  presence,  and  listened 
to  the  complaints  of  his  subjects.  On  accurate 
investigation,  and  where  he  was  convinced  of  un- 
lawful actions  he  had  the  guilty  party  immedi- 
ately prosecuted.  Thus  the  governor  of  Kordofan 
was  deposed,  and  all  the  staff-officers,  with  nine 
other  officers  and  copts,  were  brought  to  trial. 
Much  property  which  had  been  illegally  acquired 
was  certainly  confiscated ;  but,  as  I  have  before 
observed,  Mehemed  Ali  was,  in  the  end,  the  sole 
gainer  by  this  measure,  and  not  the  people.  On 
his  departure,  the  former  arbitrary  system  pre- 
vailed ;  he  left,  indeed,  strict  orders  with  the  go- 
vernor and  other  government  officers,  rigorously 
prohibiting  them  from  indulging  in  cruelties,  but 
these  measures  were  insufficient  to  mitigate  the 
evil.  Mehemed  Ali  was,  on  this  occasion,  cunning 
enough,  in  travelling  to  Fazoglo,  to  liberate  a  con- 
voy of  slaves  he  casually  met  on  the  road,  who 


GOVERNMENT.  43 

had  but  a  few  days  before  left  their  native  hills; 
— but  why  ?  Because  several  Europeans  were  in 
his  suite.  No  such  orders  were  left  in  Kordofan ; 
the  stipulated  number  of  five  thousand  slaves  were 
delivered  to  a  man.  I  was  the  only  European 
at  that  time  in  Kordofan,  and  the  governor  con- 
descended to  request  that  I  would  not  mention 
this  circumstance  in  Europe.  The  country,  in  fine, 
could  only  be  relieved  and  gradually  raised  from 
its  present  degraded  state,  by  sending  a  governor 
to  Kordofan  who  would  act,  not  upon  private  in- 
terest, but  on  the  interests  of  the  state  and  people  : 
in  fact,  as  a  man,  as  well  as  a  diplomatist. 


44  HABITS  AND   CUSTOMS. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

HABITS    AND    CUSTOMS. 

THE  dwelling-places,  in  Kordofan,  are  called 
"  tukkoli,"  and  are  of  extremely  simple  construc- 
tion. The  house  is  generally  ten  to  twelve  feet 
in  diameter,  and  of  a  circular  form ;  it  has  but  one 
single  entrance,  which  answers  the  purpose  of  door, 
window,  and  chimney,  and  is  just  large  enough 
for  a  man  to  creep  in  whilst  stooping.  One  house 
is  as  like  the  other  as  one  egg  is  like  its  fellow, 
for  there  is  no  scope  for  architectural  display;  as 
the  residences  of  the  negroes  are  built  on  the 
same  plan  at  the  present  day,  and  formed  of  the 
same  materials  they  were  centuries  ago.  A  certain 
number  of  wooden  poles  are  stuck  into  the  ground, 
in  a  circular  form,  according  to  the  dimensions 
required,  and,  being  bent  inwards,  form  a  fork 
above.  A  second  series,  exactly  similar  to  the 
first,  is  added,  and  the  ends  are  bound  together 
in  a  point,  so  that  the  second  layer  has  the  shape 
of  a  sugar  loaf,  and  constitutes  the  roof.  The  whole 
fabric  is  then  combined  with  a  kind  of  basket- 


HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS.  45 

work  and  covered  with  dokn*  straw.  The  apex 
of  the  roof  forms  a  basket,  which  serves  as  a  nest 
for  the  black  stork,  which  generally  returns  in  the 
months  of  May  and  July  from  its  migrations,  and 
hatches  its  young  in  the  nests  it  finds  ready  formed. 
If  no  stork  happen  to  build  on  one  or  the  other  of 
these  utukkoli,"  three  or  four  ostrich's  eggs  are 
placed,  by  way  of  ornament,  on  a  pole  erected  per- 
pendicularly on  the  top  of  the  roof. 

Simple  as  is  the  construction  of  these  houses, 
they  may  be  said,  on  an  average,  to  be  very  firmly 
built,  so  that  a  drop  of  water  seldom  penetrates 
during  the  heaviest  shower  in  the  rainy  season, 
and  they  afford,  at  least,  a  dry  place  of  shelter. 
From  two  to  five  of  these  tukkoli  are  generally 
built  for  one  family,  and  the  whole  homestead  is 
then  hedged  in  with  a  fence  of  thorn ;  an  opening 
is  left  in  this  hedge  for  the  gate,  represented  by 
a  bush  of  thorn,  which  is  taken  away  and  replaced 
after  entrance  or  egress  from  the  enclosure.  This 
is  not  done  from  any  apprehension  of  thieves  or  of 
any  other  intrusion,  but  to  keep  the  hungry  camels, 
who  would  devour  the  house,  in  a  short  time,  down 
to  the  very  framework,  at  a  respectful  distance. 
These  thorn  fences  are  a  great  inconvenience,  and 
even  dangerous  to  strangers,  for,  if  they  do  not 
exactly  shed  blood,  they  will  seldom  enter  them 
or  quit  them  without  leaving  a  portion  of  their 

*  A  general  term  for  millet,  whether  panicmn  miliaceum,  or 
ftolcus  sjricata  ;  it  is  the  holcus  dockna  of  Forskacl. — T». 


46  HABITS  AND   CUSTOMS. 

dress  thereunto  attached.  The  expense  of  building  a 
house  of  this  description  is  very  trifling ;  the  poorest 
people,  therefore,  are  able  to  erect  their  own  tukkoli. 
Wood  may  be  cut  in  the  forests  without  any  charge 
being  made  for  it ;  certainly  those  who  do  not  happen 
to  grow  corn,  and  consequently  have  no  straw,  are 
obliged  to  buy  this  material.  The  expense,  how- 
ever, rarely  exceeds  from  five  to  ten  piasters,  (less 
than  three  shillings  ;)  for  which  sum,  a  sufficient 
quantity  may  be  bought  to  keep  out  every  drop  of 
water  during  the  severest  shower.  Labourers  are 
not  paid,  for  each  man  assists  his  neighbour  gra- 
tuitously. These  houses  present  another  and  very 
desirable  advantage,  putting  aside  the  consideration 
that  the  material  costs  a  mere  trifle  and  the  build- 
ing but  little  trouble ;  for  every  man  can  have  his 
house  carried  away,  by  ten  or  twelve  men,  in  two 
divisions,  and  quickly  again  erected  in  a  different 
place,  if  the  site  did  not  please  him,  or  a  disagree- 
able neighbour  rendered  his  prior  residence  unplea- 
sant to  him.  If  fire  break  out  in  a  village,  no 
attempt  is  made  to  extinguish  it,  as  it  would  be 
labour  in  vain,  but  the  houses  nearest  to  the  seat 
of  conflagration  are  conveyed  out  of  the  reach  of 
danger,  and  a  limit  is  thus  put  to  the  raging  ele- 
ment. Whole  villages  are  sometimes  carried  away, 
when  an  insect  happens  to  infest  the  neighbour- 
hood, and  renders  residence  in  a  certain  district 
insupportable.  The  animal  is  the  ricinus,*  called 

*  Ornithomyzes,  a  family  of  apterous  and  parasitic  insects,  vul- 


HABITS  AND   CUSTOMS.  47 

there  "kurat;"  it  harbours  in  the  sand,  whence 
it  issues,  in  astonishing  numbers,  to  attack  those 
who  may  happen  to  sit  down  on  the  sand  naked, 
;i<  the  negroes  do.  This  little  animal  then  imme- 
diately approaches  and  bites  most  severely.  The 
camels  stand  in  great  awe  of  it,  immediately  take 
flight,  and  cannot  be  made  to  stop  in  a  place 
where  it  is  to  be  met  with.  The  sting  of  this 
insect  is  only  to  be  avoided  by  sitting  on  straw 
mats,  for  they  seldom  creep  upon  these. 

Every  family  possesses  an  additional  hut,  (called 
"  moraka,")  in  which  the  flour  necessary  for  the  con- 
sumption of  the  house  is  ground.  This  operation  is 
performed  in  a  hollow  stone,  a  species  of  rude  mor- 
tar, which  is  fixed  into  the  ground,  whilst  a  girl, 
generally  a  slave,  reduces  the  grain  (dokn)  with 
another  cylindrical  stone  to  a  powder.  In  a  family 
consisting  of  eight  persons,  one  girl  would  be  oc- 
cupied throughout  the  whole  year  in  grinding  the 
necessary  quantity  of  corn.  This  simple  labour 
requires  great  exertion,  and  is  only  to  be  per- 
formed by  girls  who  have  attained  their  fourteenth 
year,  younger  children  being  unequal  to  the  task. 
Even  grown  persons  suffer  considerably  in  this  oc- 
cupation, for  it  requires  no  slight  exertion  to  roll 
a  heavy  stone  all  day  long  backwards  and  forwards 

garly  called  "tics."  The  latin  name  Ricimis,  is  taken  from  Varro, 
and  not  well  chosen,  as  it  is  liable  to  be  confounded  with  the 
plant  of  the  same  name.  Vid.  Dictionnaire  des  Sciences  naturelle*, 
torn.  xlv.  article  Ricins. — TR. 


48  HABITS  AND   CUSTOMS. 

in  the  heat  of  these  huts ;  the  poor  creatures  thus 
employed  are  generally  bathed  in  perspiration,  and 
yet  they  may  be  heard  singing  all  day  long.  Their 
songs  are  certainly  merely  expressive  of  their  de- 
sire to  escape,  or  of  longing  after  their  homes.  The 
chaunts  are  very  peculiar,  and,  with  few  exceptions, 
the  impromptu  pouring-forth  of  the  feelings  of  the 
singer,  according  to  the  custom  prevalent  over 
nearly  the  whole  of  the  East. 

Few  songs  are  to  be  met  with  which  the  one 
learns  of  the  other ;  for  each  individual  sings  exactly 
what  he  thinks,  without  any  regard  to  metre  or  time. 
For  their  dances  the  natives  have  a  few  peculiar 
melodies,  which,  however,  are  frequently  altered  by 
variations  of  their  own  composition.  The  young 
female  slaves  are  heard  to  sing  chiefly  in  a  minor 
key,  and  their  notes  are  scarcely  audible  in  the  next 
hut :  the  song  will  frequently  run  in  the  following 
strain :  "  The  sun  is  concealing  itself  behind  the 
hills,  coine  people  to  the  joyous  dance;  the  cows  are 
milked,  the  work  is  done,  light  the  fire ;  my  lover 
comes  to  fetch  me  home,  &c."  A  tear  may  be  seen 
to  flow  from  the  eye  of  many  a  girl  as  she  thinks 
of  her  native  hills,  over  these  songs  ;  time,  however, 
is  capable  of  assuaging  the  grief  of  these  poor 
creatures,  and  after  the  lapse  of  two  or  three  years 
but  few  of  them  devote  a  thought  to  their  native 
country.  In  Egypt  I  have  often  conversed  with 
both  male  and  female  slaves  who  scarcely  remem- 
bered their  fatherland,  which  they  the  more  easily 


HABITS   AND    CUSTOMS.  49 

forget,  as  they  meet  with  treatment  in  captivity  they 
could  not  have  experienced  under  the  paternal  roof; 
they  subsequently  adopt  the  customs  and  habits  of 
the  people  with  whom  they  are  forced  to  live,  and 
frequently  laugh  at  the  simple  customs  of  their  own 
country. 

In  the  houses  of  the  married  there  is  a  small  ele- 
vation, of  about  one  foot  and  a  half  in  height,  in 
which  an  earthern  pot  is  immured  up  to  its  em- 
bouchure :  this  is  called  "  tirankul,"  and  is  for  the 
purpose  of  fumigating  the  person.  Wood  cut  into 
thin  shavings,  named  "  klet  "  and  "  telch,"  is  placed 
in  the  pot,  and  ignited,  whereupon  the  person  per- 
forms the  fumigation.  This  smoke  is  very  tonic  in 
its  operation,  and  so  astringent  that  it  corrugates 
the  skin.  The  shirts  are  also  fumigated  with 
sandal-wood  over  this  pot. 

The  influential  and  more  opulent  inhabitants  of  the 
village,  e.  g.  the  sheikhs  or  the  djelabis,  possess,  in 
addition  to  the  houses  we  have  already  described,  a 
hut  built  in  a  quadrangular  form  and  called 
"rakuba:"  they  are  more  spacious  than  the  com- 
mon dwellings,  and  are  furnished  with  two  entrances 
to  admit  of  a  freer  circulation  of  air,  but  are  not 
tc'iiantable  during  the  rainy  season  on  account  of  the 
extreme  lightness  with  which  they  are  constructed. 
This  description  of  public  building  serves  the  pur- 
POM>  of  a  place  of  abode  for  travellers,  and  is  certainly 
preferable  to  the  dark  and  hot  tukkoli,  which  are 
built  rather  for  the  rainy  season  than  for  the  dry  and 

E 


50  HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS. 

hot  weather,  during  which  period  the  people  live 
more  in  the  open  air.  In  Bari  and  Lobeid,  where 
many  Turks  and  Dongolavi  reside  who  look  more  to 
comfort,  several  spacious  residences  are  to  be  met 
with,  constructed  on  the  principle  of  those  observed 
in  all  Egyptian  towns.  The  houses  at  Bari  are  more 
substantially  built  than  those  at  Lobeid,  which  are, 
literally  speaking,  made  of  sand.  An  European 
architect  would  be  much  puzzled  to  erect  a  house 
of  this  description,  if  he  were  shown  the  material 
only.  It  consists  of  wood  and  sand;  but  as  the 
swallows  build  their  nests  with  very  slight  material, 
which,  however,  in  time  becomes  as  firm  as  stone,  in 
like  manner  houses  are  constructed  at  Lobeid  which, 
although  they  will  not  last  for  ever,  resist  the  in- 
clemencies of  the  weather  for  a  great  length  of 
time,  and  afford  the  occupant  a  secure  place  of 
shelter. 

In  several  parts  of  the  East  I  have  had  frequent 
opportunities  of  observing  that  they  build  very  neat 
dwellings  as  it  were  of  nothing.  Houses,  two  stories 
in  height,  are  frequently  erected  from  the  ground  in 
five  or  six  weeks.  The  walls  are  represented  by  a 
thick  framework  of  wood,  lined  with  a  few  bricks. 
A  coating  of  mortar  covers  the  whole,  and  thus  a 
house  bears  all  the  appearance  of  being  built  of 
stone,  and  does  not  easily  fall,  especially  where  they 
are  not  detached,  but  form  streets,  and  the  one, 
therefore,  supports  the  other.  In  Kordofan,  on  the 
other  hand,  each  man  builds  an  isolated  hut,  and 


HABITS    AND   CUSTOMS.  51 

every  species  of  building  material,  excepting  wood, 
is  wanting ;  the  construction,  therefore,  is  completely 
that  of  a  swallow's  nest.     When  a  man  has  fixed 
upon  the  plot  of  ground  on  which  he  intends  to  con- 
struct his  house,  the  earth  is  excavated  to  the  depth 
of  half  a  foot ;  and  as  much  of  the  sand  dug  out  as 
is  necessary  for  the  building,  is  mixed  with  water  in 
a  well,  at  two  or  three  paces  distant  from  the  site  of 
the  building.     The  foundation  is  now  erected  to  a 
height  of  about  two  feet,  and  the  labour  is  remitted 
for  two  or  three  days,  to  allow  the  wall  of  sand  to 
acquire  the  proper  firmness.     This  latter  proceeding 
is  the  more  essential  as  the  whole  fabric  would  tum- 
ble to  pieces  before  it  had  attained  its  necessary 
height,  unless  this  precaution  were  adopted.     When 
the  destined  elevation  is  completed,  and  the  wall  is 
thoroughly   dry,  thin    rafters   are  laid   horizontally 
across  it  to  form  the  skeleton  of  the  roof.     Mats  of 
straw  are  now  placed  upon  the  rafters,  and  covered 
with  a  thin  layer  of  sand,  which  is  then  wetted; 
small  pebbles  of  quartz  are  now  strewn  over  this  bed, 
and  the  whole  mass  is  firmly  beaten  together.     A 
fabric  of  this  nature  is  not  unlike  papier  macM,  and, 
like   the   latter,  would   become  perfectly  saturated 
with  the  first  rain,  and  fall  to  pieces,  if  they  did  not 
take  the  precaution  of  covering  the  whole  with   a 
coating  of  cow-dung,   which   effectually  keeps   out 
water,  and   thus   pi-events  the  occurrence  of  such   a 
calamity.      It  will  be  easily  conceived  that  a  house  of 
this  kind  (Utilises  no  very  agreeable  odour  during  the 


52  HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS. 

first  few  days  after  erection,  and  that  its  colour  is 
by  no  means  the  most  pleasing.  In  the  rainy  season 
this  plastering  has  to  be  repeated  several  times,  and 
yet  the  rain  frequently  penetrates.  I  have  lived  in 
one  of  these  houses,  and  derived  the  greatest  benefit 
from  my  umbrella  both  by  day  and  by  night. 

Most  places  are  provided  with  draw-wells,  but 
the  water  is  on  the  average  very  bad.  The  wells  are 
situated  at  a  short  distance  from  some  of  their  places 
of  residence,  and  the  tributary  springs  frequently 
dry  up,  as  was  the  case  in  the  year  1839,  when  many 
villages  suffered  from  want  of  water.  In  several 
localities,  where  this  element  was  formerly  found 
at  a  depth  of  ten  feet,  it  is  now  necessary  to  dig  to 
a  depth  of  twenty  feet  before  it  can  be  reached. 
About  fifteen  years  ago  water  was  found  at  twenty 
feet  below  the  level  of  the  ground  at  Lobeid  ;  at 
present  fifty  feet  must  be  penetrated  before  arriv- 
ing at  it.  During  the  rainy  season  water  is,  indeed, 
never  wanting ;  but  the  rains  do  not  last  long,  and 
that  which  remains  in  the  ponds  either  quickly 
evaporates,  or  becomes  in  a  short  time  so  deteriorated 
that  it  could  not  be  drank  without  producing  fatal 
consequences. 

The  arrangements  in  the  interior  of  the  tukkoli 
are  as  simple  as  the  huts  themselves.  In  addition 
to  an  "  angareb  "  (a  bedstead  or  frame,  with  straps 
fastened  across  it),  a  leathern  shield,  and  a  few  spears, 
the  furniture  consists  of  the  following  objects : — 
a  pot,  called  "  burma,"  for  water  ;  a  second  for  boil- 


HABITS   AND    CUSTOMS  53 

,  and  a  third  for  "  merissa  "  (a  species  of  beer); 
further  a  flat  earthern  dish  "  doka "  for  baking 
bread  :  ^mie  few  gourds  for  drinking;  a  wooden 
platter  named  "gedda"  for  the  boiled  food;  and  a 
dish  of  straw  plaited  from  the  leaves  of  the  Doum 
palm,  called  "tabake."  Milk  is  kept  in  a  basket 
formed  of  rushes  so  densely  interlaced  that  no  fluid 
can  percolate  :  to  render  them  thus  impermeable 
they  are  steeped  in  boiling  water  immediately  after 
they  are  plaited.  Provisions  and  other  articles  of 
domestic  economy  are  hung  against  the  walls,  to 
keep  them  from  the  mice  and  white  ants ;  these 
insects  are  a  thorough  plague  in  the  country,  and 
nothing  is  safe  from  them ;  they  will  even  gnaw 
and  undermine  the  wood-work  of  a  house,  and  cause 
the  whole  fabric  to  fall  to  pieces.  Their  habitation 
is  the  sand,  especially  where  it  is  rather  damp  ;  every- 
thing in  fact  that  is  placed  on  the  ground  is  in 
danger  of  being  eaten  up  by  them  ;  chests  and  trunks 
should,  therefore,  be  placed  upon  stones,  for  they 
do  not  creep  up  these  :  the  open  air  is  also  fatal  to 
the  white  ant.  When  they  have  gnawed  anything 
to  pieces  they  leave  a  moisture  mixed  with  sand, 
which  becoming  hard  forms  an  incrustation;  and 
beneath  this  they  carry  on  their  work  of  destruc- 
tion. This  covering  is  not  intended  to  defend  them 
from  other  insects  inimical  to  them,  and  likely  to 
disturb  them  in  their  work,  but  to  guard  themselves 
against  the  access  of  the  air,  which,  as  I  before  men- 
tioned, they  cannot  bear.  T  took  all  possible  pains 


54  HABITS  AND   CUSTOMS. 

to  learn  something  more  of  the  habits  of  these 
animals,  to  find  out  where  they  live  and  in  what 
numbers  they  congregate.  I  have  often  dug  to  a 
depth  of  one  foot  or  two  feet  in  the  sand  without 
meeting  with  one  single  ant ;  and  yet,  if  I  placed  a 
wooden  chest  on  the  ground,  where  I  had  just  been 
digging,  I  found  in  a  short  time  the  spot  covered 
with  hundreds  of  these  insects. 

The  interior  of  some  of  the  tukkoli  is  decorated 
with  beautiful  coloured  straw  mats ;  the  angareb  is 
also  covered  with  variegated  matting,  and  serves,  at 
the  same  time,  as  a  couch.  Two  or  three  ropes  are 
drawn  across  the  middle  of  the  hut,  to  which  ribbons, 
two  fingers  in  breadth,  plaited  of  rushes,  and  spread- 
ing out  inferiorly,  are  attached;  by  these  ligatures 
blue  porcelain  plates,  of  English  manufacture,  are  sus- 
pended, to  contain  food  and  preserve  it  from  the 
insects.  A  second  cord  is  passed  round  the  hut,  to 
which  black  glass  bottles  are  hung,  ornamented  with 
gold  paper  ;  part  of  these  are  empty,  others  again  are 
filled  with  perfumery  and  cosmetics  belonging  to  the 
women,  as  grease,  palm-oil,  oil  of  cloves,  shebe,* 
telka,f  etc.  The  walls  are  decorated  with  a  shield, 
a  two-edged  sword,  and  a  few  spears.  Before  the 
tukkoli,  a  hollow  cylinder  made  of  cow-dung  is  fre- 
quently met  with,  it  is  placed  on  stones,  and  is  her- 
metically closed  with  a  lid.  In  this  vessel  the  in- 
habitants keep  their  corn,  but  a  majority  of  them 
bury  their  stores  under-ground.  For  this  purpose 

*  Shebe  or  Sheb,  native  alum.  — TR. 

t  Telka  or  Telg,  a  species  of  pomatum.  —  TK. 


II A H ITS    AND   CUSTOMS.  .").") 

thev  <lig  a  pit,  ami  line  it  internally  with  straw-mat- 
ting; the  corn  is  then  thrown  in  and  covered  with 
straw-mats;  sand  is  now  shot  over  the  whole,  and 
the  ground  is  levelled.  Cabinets  d'aisance  are  not 
known  to  the  natives ;  in  these  matters  they  imitate 
the  eats.  There  are  no  stalls  or  stables  for  the  do- 
mestic animals;  the  cattle  is  penned  together  in  an 
enclosure  of  thorn,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  tukkoli. 
The  fence  is  exceedingly  dense,  intended  to  keep  out 
the  wild  beasts  at  night ;  and  yet  it  frequently 
happens  that  a  lion,  or  hyaena,  when  urged  by  hunger, 
will  effect  an  entry  through  the  thickest  hedge,  and 
carry  away  a  sheep,  a  goat,  or  a  calf. 

The  habits  of  the  people  are  very  simple,  and 
their  labour  is  restricted  to  the  most  necessary 
employments.  As  soon  as  the  day  begins  to  dawn 
old  and  young  rise  from  their  couches,  and  after 
washing  their  faces,  hands,  and  feet,  in  accord- 
ance with  their  religion,  proceed  to  work  ;  the  oc- 
cupation of  the  majority,  however,  consists  in  again 
retiring  to  the  angareb.  It  is  worthy  of  remark 
that  no  one  sleeps  on  the  bare  ground,  and  that  the 
meanest  slave  is  provided  with  a  mat  to  lie  upon. 
In  the  houses  of  the  more  respectable  natives,  one 
or  two  angarebs  are  always  found  on  which  they 
sleep,  while  the  lower  orders  are  provided  with  straw- 
mats,  for  no  human  being  could  endure  lying  on  the 
mere  ground  for  any  length  of  time;  for  the  ver- 
min harbouring  in  the  sand  would  nearly  eat  him  up. 
The  bed  of  a  slave  is  certainly  not  of  eiderdown, 
and  many  Kuropeans,  rising  in  the  morning  from  a 


56  HABITS  AND  CUSTOMS. 

couch  of  this  description,  would  consider  they  had 
undergone  a  severe  punishment ;  for  these  straw,  or 
rather  cane-mats,  are  plaited  from  a  species  of  reed, 
the  stalks  of  which  are  as  thick  as  the  little  finger, 
and  each  particular  reed  is  so  far  apart  in  the 
texture,  that  their  entire  number  may  be  counted 
in  the  morning  on  the  body  of  the  slave.  I  have 
often  asked  these  poor  wretches  how  they  could 
possibly  sleep  on  a  bed  of  torture  of  this  kind,  but 
they  have  always  assured  me,  laughing,  that  they 
could  rest  better  there  than  on  the  bare  ground. 
As  a  general  rule  no  one  places  any  pillow  under 
his  head,  not  even  as  much  as  a  stone;  but  the 
natives  cover  themselves  with  a  shirt,  if  indeed  they 
have  one ;  in  this  garment  they  envelope  the  whole 
head,  and  if  any  one,  in  fact,  neglect  covering  his 
head  at  night,  he  will  experience  a  sensation  of 
heaviness  and  indisposition  in  the  morning,  which 
will  continue  during  the  whole  day.  Breakfast  is 
not  customary  in  this  country.  Although  the  coffee 
from  Abyssinia,  and  even  from  Yemen,  which  stands 
in  commercial  connexion  with  Kordofan,  is  very 
cheap,  this  beverage  is  but  little  known  and  is  only 
drank  by  some  few  djelabi  and  the  Turkish  residents 
of  Kordofan  ;  with  the  exception  of  one  coffee-house 
at  Lobeid,  there  is  no  establishment  of  the  kind  in 
the  whole  province,  and  this  single  cafe  is  frequented 
by  the  Turks  solely,  and  not  by  the  natives.  Among 
the  most  respectable  Dongolavi,  however,  some  few 
mav  be  occasionally  found  who  do  not  abstain 


HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS.  f>7 

altogether  from  this  beverage.  If  a  foreigner  vMt 
an  influential  person  in  the  morning  a  pipe  and 
nierissa  are  offered  him,  and  a  dish,  reckoned  a  great 
delicacy,  which  requires,  however,  a  stomach  differ- 
ently constituted  to  that  of  an  European  to  digest 
it.  I,  on  one  occasion,  had  the  honour  of  being 
treated  with  this  dish.  I  was  one  day  invited  by  a 
djelabi  at  Denagle  to  breakfast.  Having  arrived 
at  the  appointed  time,  I  was  conducted  to  a  seat  on 
an  angareb  covered  with  beautiful  carpets,  and  a 
pipe  and  merissa  were  handed  to  me.  When  I 
observed  that  no  fire  was  lighted  in  the  fire-place  and 
that  no  other  preparations  were  being  made,  I  asked, 
without  further  ceremony,  where  the  breakfast 
was,  for  I  knew  very  well  that  simple  merissa 
would  not  be  considered  sufficient  to  offer  me,  and 
I  had  not  time  to  remain  longer.  The  djelabi  told 
me  that  it  would  be  ready  immediately,  and  pointed 
to  a  sheep  which  was  running  about  in  the  court, 
adding,  that  he  would  not  have  it  slaughtered  until  I 
had  arrived.  I  replied,  "It  will  soon  be  midday 
and  I  have  other  business  to  attend  to,  and  cannot 
wait  until  the  meat  is  roasted  or  boiled,  especially 
;i^  you  have  not  even  prepared  a  fire."  My  host 
a^ured  me  that  the  breakfast  would  be  ready  imme- 
diately, and  that  I  should  have  ample  time  to  attend 
to  my  business.  My  curiosity  was  now  excited  to 
the  utmost  to  know  with  what  kind  of  breakfast  he 
intended  to  honour  me,  and  T  kept  my  eyes  con- 
tinually on  the  sheep,  which  was  to  be  sacrificed  in 


58  HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS. 

honour  of  my  visit ;  judge,  however,  of  my  embar- 
rassment when  a  slave,  on  a  signal  from  his  master, 
quickly  decapitated  the  sheep,  and  without  waiting 
to  flay  the  animal,  ripped  up  its  abdomen,  took  out 
the  stomach,  cleaned  it,  cut  it  into  small  pieces,  and 
laying  them  on  a  wooden  dish,  squeezed  the  gall- 
bladder of  the  animal,  as  we  might  a  lemon,  on 
the  fragments,  and  lastly,  strewed  a  considerable 
quantity  of  cayenne  pepper  over  the  whole  mess. 
This  being  done,  and,  indeed,  in  an  incredibly  short 
space  of  time,  I  was  pressed  to  help  myself  quickly, 
before  the  dish  became  cool ;  I  sighed,  however,  and 
thanking  my  host,  begged  to  be  excused,  assuring 
him  at  the  same  time  that  an  European  stomach 
could  not  possibly  bear  this  very  exquisite  dish,  and 
that  I  would,  therefore,  content  myself  with  looking 
on.  He  smiled  piteously  at  my  fastidiousness,  and 
showed  evident  symptoms  of  relishing  the  delicacy. 
I  afterwards  frequently  observed  that  this  is  a 
very  favourite  dish,  and  was  tempted,  rather  to 
satisfy  my  curiosity  than  my  appetite,  to  partake  of 
it ;  and  really  the  flavour  is  not  very  disagreeable, 
for  the  gall  in  combination  with  the  cayenne  takes 
away  the  odour  and  taste  of  the  raw  paunch,  never- 
theless I  could  never  eat  a  sufficient  quantity  of  it 
to  satisfy  the  demands  of  hunger.  Not  only  in 
Kordofan,  but  in  Sennaar,  and  Abyssinia,  also,  this 
dish  is  considered,  as  I  have  before  observed,  a  great 
delicacy. 

The    duties    the    inhabitants    have    to    perform 


HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS.  .")!) 

during  the  day  require  very  little  trouble,  and  in  no 
country  have  I  seen  as  much  indolence  as  in  Kordo- 
fan.  Every  man,  be  his  means  ever  so  small,  en- 
deavours to  purchase  a  slave,  and  this  poor  wretch 
must  then  do  all  the  work,  in  order  that  his  master 
may  lie  all  day  long  in  the  shade,  indulging  in 
idleness.  The  natives  never  perform  any  more 
labour  than  is  absolutely  necessary,  and  thus  much 
only  when  it  is  urgently  required.  Those  who 
attend  to  agriculture  have  very  little  trouble  or  care 
in  their  employment ;  for  they  have  nothing  to  do  but 
to  sow  the  seed  at  a  certain  season,  and  to  carry  the 
harvest  in  three  months'  time.  Very  few  persons 
occupy  themselves  with  handicraft.  The  houses  are 
repaired,  or  renovated,  at  the  utmost  every  three  or 
five  years ;  thus  no  one  has  anything  to  do,  and  the 
natives  are  consequently  seen  lying  about  sleeping 
all  the  day  long.  The  women  attend,  indeed,  to  the 
domestic  duties,  but  these  are  inconsiderable,  and  if 
their  means  will  permit  it,  they  pass  the  greater  part 
of  the  day  on  the  angareb.  The  men  have  no  amuse- 
ments; only  very  few  of  the  Dongolavi  smoke  tobacco, 
but  the  negro  tribes  indulge  the  more  in  this  habit. 
They  take  little  or  no  interest  in  the  dances  of  the 
women,  and  when  they  are  tired  of  lying  down,  and 
have  slept  to  their  hearts'  content,  a  few  neighbours 
congregate;  and  after  greet  ings  and  mutual  inquiries 
into  the  state  of  their  health, — a  ceremony  which 
generally  occupies  a  quarter  of  an  hour, — the  conver- 
sation at  the  most  turns  upon  the  governor  and  the 


60  HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS. 

casheffs,  or  they  talk  of  their  sick  camels  or  asses. 
Politics  in  general  are  a  very  small  trouble  to  them ; 
the  taxes,  however,  which  they  are  forced  to  pay 
several  times  in  the  year,  cause  them  a  few  days  of 
great  uneasiness.  On  these  occasions  they  consult 
together  how  they  may  best  collect  them ;  and  if 
the  harvest  was  successful,  and  merissa  consequently 
plentiful,  many  a  bitter  hour  is  drowned  with  this 
liquor.  Their  conversation  becomes  then  more  ani- 
mated, they  console  themselves  with  providence,  and 
the  rhababa,  a  lyre  with  five  strings,  entirely  dissi- 
pates their  cares.  This  instrument  is  their  chief 
amusement,  they  will  listen  for  hours  to  its  mono- 
tonous notes,  and  it  forms  a  frequent  accompaniment 
to  the  voice  ;  but  story  tellers  who  relate  tales  from 
the  Arabian  Nights  are  not  to  be  met  with  among 
them  as  in  Egypt.  However  noisy  their  amuse- 
ments may  become,  or  whatever  the  effects  of  the 
merissa  may  be,  they  seldom  or  never  proceed  to 
quarrels.  Swearing  and  abusive  language  is  scarcely 
ever  heard  among  them  as  it  is  among  the  Arabs, 
and  if,  as  a  very  rare  occurrence,  a  quarrel  ever 
arise,  it  is  immediately  arranged  by  the  elders  pre- 
sent. They  never  fall  to  blows,  although  they  may* 
perhaps,  occasionally  pull  each  other  about  by  the 
shirts.  They  are  hospitable,  and  every  one  who 
casually  passes-by  whilst  they  are  amusing  them- 
selves is  considered  their  guest,  and  must  participate 
in  the  amusements. 

Among  the  Dongolavi,  I  found  a  very  singular 


HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS.  til 

custom  prevalent  for  settling  their  n Hairs  of  honour, 
as  they  arc  termed;  these  are,  generally,  disputes 
arising  from  love,  or  jealousy,  at  which  the  young 
unmarried  men  have  taken  mortal  offence ;  the 
married,  who  certainly  have  better  cause  for  duel- 
ling, never  proceed  to  such  extremities;  they  are 
far  more  tolerant  on  the  like  occasions,  and  not 
very  particular  about  such  trifling  affairs.  The 
young  men,  on  the  other  hand,  take  these  things  far 
more  to  heart;  when,  therefore,  the  friends  have 
not  been  able  to  adjust  the  quarrel,  a  formal  chal- 
lenge is  sent.  The  duel  takes  place  in  an  open 
space,  in  presence  of  all  their  friends  and  comrades, 
who  act  as  seconds,  or  rather  as  umpires.  An  an- 
gareb  is  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  field  of  battle  : 
the  two  combatants  strip,  and,  binding  their  shirts 
round  their  loins,  each  man  places  his  foot  close  to 
the  edge  of  the  couch,  the  breadth  of  which  simply 
separates  them  from  each  other.  A  whip,  made 
of  one  solid  thong  of  the  hide  of  the  hippopotamus,  V 
is  handed  to  each,  and  attempts  to  reconcile  them 
are  again  resumed.  If  both  parties,  however,  prove 
obstinate,  or  their  sense  of  honour  be  too  deeply 
implicated,  for  either  to  yield,  the  signal  of 
battle  is  at  last  given.  He  who  is  entitled  to  the 
Hrst  blow,  now  intlicts  a  severe  lash  on  the  body  of 
his  adversary,  who  instantly  returns  the  compli- 
ment, and  thus  the  conflict  is  kept  up,  blow  for 
blow,  with  Lrrcat  regularity.  The  head  must  not  he 
struck.  The  manner  in  which  thev  lacerate  each 


62  "HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS. 

other  is  perfectly  frightful ;  for  the  blows  are  dealt 
with  the  utmost  severity,  and  the  weapon  is  suffi- 
ciently formidable  to  cause  an  immense  ecchymosis 
with  the  very  first  stripe, — with  the  third  or  fourth 
blow  the  blood  begins  to  flow  most  copiously.  Not 
the  slightest  expression  of  pain  is  uttered  by  either 
party,  and  the  umpires  remain  cool  spectators  of  the 
scene.  Thus  the  duellists  persevere  with  their  bar- 
barous cruelty,  until  the  one  or  the  other,  over- 
come with  pain,  or  exhausted  with  fatigue,  throws 
down  his  whip,  whereupon  the  victor  does  the  same, 
and  both  shake  hands,  in  sign  of  mutual  satisfac- 
tion. Their  comrades  now  rend  the  air  with  their 
exclamations  of  joy,  and  congratulate  them  on  their 
reconciliation;  their  lacerated  backs  are  washed 
with  water,  and  the  affair  terminates  with  a  copious 
libation  of  merissa,  sundry  jugs  of  which  had  been 
provided  beforehand  for  the  occasion. 

Similar  causes  sometimes  give  rise  to  another 
species  of  duel,  far  more  dangerous  in  its  conse- 
quences than  the  latter,  for  it  frequently  terminates 
with  an  injury,  the  effects  of  which  are  felt 
during  life,  or  even  with  the  loss  of  the  use  of  a 
limb.  The  combatants,  on  this  occasion,  are  also 
divided  by  an  angareb;  but,  in  dealing  out  their 
alternate  blows,  they  pay  no  attention  to  the  part 
they  fall  upon,  whether  the  face,  or  any  other  sen- 
sitive portion  of  the  body,  and  thus  severe  injuries 
are  always  the  result.  These  duels  are,  however, 
rare,  and  mortal  quarrels  are  generally  fought  out  in 


II A P, ITS   AND  CUSTOMS.  G3 

the  manner  above  described.  The  girl,  who  had 
been  the  cause  of  all  this  broil  and  warfare,  is  not 
drawn  into  the  aii'air,  but  is  generally  considered 
innocent,  or  pitied  as  seduced. 

As  a  general  rule,  the  women  are  tar  more  indus- 
trious than  the  men;  tor,  besides  attending  to  their 
domestic  occupations,  they  employ  themselves  more 
especially  with  plaiting  straw-mats,  making  baskets 
to  hold  milk,  and  funnels  for  filtering  meris-,t. 
They  perform,  moreover,  other  business,  which 
should  more  properly  be  considered  as  the  duty  of 
the  men.  I  have  even  seen  them  tanning  leather, 
whilst  their  husbands  were  quietly  looking  on, 
smoking  their  pipes,  and  indulging  in  idleness. 

The  women  are,  generally  speaking,  regarded  as 
servants.  Their  degradation  is  yet  greater,  if  they 
should  unfortunately  happen  not  to  have  children. 
In  this  case  they  are  quite  despised  by  their  lords, 
if  they  were  ever  so  fond  of  them  before,  and  the 
husband  indemnifies  himself  with  a  female  slave. 
Should  this  woman  bear  him  a  child,  which  is  gene- 
rally the  case,  she  is  immediately  raised  to  the  rank 
of  his  wife,  and  his  former  spouse  is  cither  sent 
away,  or  totally  neglected.  Among  the  more  opu- 
lent natives,  the  custom  prevails  of  making  the  wife 
a  >mall  allowance'  after  the  birth  of  the  second 
child,  and  giving  her  a  separate  hut  as  a  place  of 
residence;  for  they  grow  old  very  rapidly,  and  a 
woman  in  her  twenty-fourth  year  is  considered  pa.^ 
Hence  it  is  that  many  women  may  be  seen  running 


64  HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS. 

about  as  if  deranged  to  consult  their  Sheikhs,*  or 
fortune-tellers.      The  information   these    impostors 
give  is,  of  course,  always  agreeable  to  the  desires  of 
the  client,  but  is,  generally  speaking,  utterly  false. 
The  women  of  Kordofan  are  very  merry;    they 

*  These  Sheikhs,  or  saints,  are  what  we  call  idiots.  They  are 
unfortunate  beings,  who,  although  neglected  by  nature,  are  con- 
sidered in  this  country  as  direct  apostles  from  God,  to  inform  the 
children  of  man  of  their  destiny.  These  poor  wretches  are  all  but 
idolized,  every  one  being  anxious  to  shew  them  the  utmost  respect. 
When  they  walk  out  in  the  streets,  they  are  stopped  by  old  and 
young,  who  kiss  their  face,  hands,  and  even  their  feet,  and  offer  them 
everything  they  wish  for.  Beings  of  this  description  are  generally 
very  apathetic,  and  accept  little  or  nothing  ;  they  are,  in  fact,  gene- 
rally to  be  met  dressed  in  the  most  disgusting  clothes,  in  rags,  or 
utterly  naked,  although  they  would  be  provided  with  the  finest  rai- 
ment if  they  merely  expressed  the  slightest  wish.  Their  parents, 
sisters,  or  other  relations,  on  the  other  hand,  know  how  to  turn  their 
misfortune  to  the  best  account,  and  accept  considerable  presents  for 
their  intercession  with  these  saints,  or  for  procuring  others  an  op- 
portunity of  consulting  this  oracle.  They  give  the  most  absurd 
and  ridiculous  answers  to  questions  that  are  put  to  them,  partly  as 
a  consequence  of  their  fatuity,  and  partly  because  taught  to  do  so ; 
it  is,  indeed,  scarcely  possible  at  times  to  guess  at  their  meaning. 
The  more  absurd  the  answer,  the  more  contented  is  the  party  in- 
terested; and  absolutely  delighted,  if  he  can  only  make  out  a  single 
word  of  the  whole  rodomontade,  which  in  the  slightest  agrees  with 
his  wishes.  To  these  saints  the  women  flock  in  numbers  to  beg 
for  fertility.  Besides  these  Sheikhs,  there  are  others,  and  Fakeers, 
who  write  amulets,  which  the  women  wear  on  their  arms,  or  heads, 
firmly  believing  that  their  most  fervent  wishes  will  be  then  ful- 
filled. The  latter  profession  is  exceedingly  lucrative,  and  I  have 
seen  several  persons  who  had  made  a  small  fortune  in  this  manner, 
and  very  well  understood  the  art  of  imposing  on  the  people,  and  of 
persuading  them  to  purchase  a  fresh  charm,  although  experience 
must  have  convinced  them  of  the  futility  of  the  last. 


HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS.  (j') 

may  be  heard  singing,  or  laughing,  all  day  long  ; 
and  (-haunt  over  their  work,  either  Hiiirly,  or  in 
company.  As  soon  as  the  labours  of  the  day  are 
ended,  the  girls  and  neighbours  congregate  to- 
gether, and  dancing  commences,  an  amusement 
generally  kept  up  till  past  midnight.  They  are, 
in  fact,  passionately  addicted  to  this  recreation. 
If  they  have  even  been  employed  during  the  whole 
day  with  the  most  onerous  labour,  sufficient  to 
fatigue  a  strong  man,  all  symptoms  of  weariness  im- 
mediately disappear  when  the  wood-fires  are  lighted 
before  the  huts  in  the  evening,  and  the  sound  of 
the  Dar'abook'keh*  is  heard.  This  is,  in  fact,  the 
signal  for  old  and  young  to  leave  their  houses,  and 
hasten  to  the  scene  of  amusement,  where  the  men, 
with  their  wives,  lay  themselves  down  in  a  circle, 
and  become  spectators,  or,  joining  in  the  song,  beat 
the  time  with  their  hands,  while  the  girls  now 
make  their  appearance,  and  singly  begin  the  dance. 
This  dance  is  very  simple  in  its  nature,  requires, 
however,  great  muscular  exertion,  and  would  prove 
a  very  difficult  task  for  some  of  our  fair  country- 
women. The  black  beauties  commence  their  evo- 
lutions by  moving  slowly,  but  frequently,  in  a  small 
spuee.  Whilst  beating  time  with  their  feet,  they, 
throw  their  heads  back  at  measured  intervals,  and 
draw  their  shoulders  up  ;  so  that  they  frequently 
even  bend  their  bodies  backwards  until  their  hea<N 
touch  the  ground.  This  is  done  \\itli  so  much  n 
*  Tarabuka,  a  drum,  which  is  heat  en  with  the  hand. 

F 


66  HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS. 

cular  effort,  that  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  believe  a 
girl  of  slender  build  could  possess  sufficient  power  of 
muscle.  The  movements  are,  at  first,  all  very  slow, 
but  gradually  increase  in  rapidity,  and  become,  at 
last,  so  frequent  and  quick,  that  you  could  almost 
imagine  yourself  looking  at  an  automaton  moving 
on  springs  and  wires,  and  not  on  a  human  being. 
When  a  girl  has  nearly  danced  herself  to  death, 
she  modestly  retires  to  the  background,  and  a  se- 
cond takes  her  place.  If  one  of  them  particularly 
distinguish  herself,  and  the  company  wish  to  pay 
her  a  very  great  compliment,  she  is  desired  to  stand 
forth,  and  a  sword  is  flourished  several  times  over 
her  head.  During  this  ceremony,  the  music  is 
silenced,  but  becomes  the  more  noisy  afterwards, 
and  is  intended  as  a  kind  of  musical  honour  to 
the  danseuse.  This  compliment  is  generally  paid 
her  by  her  admirer  or  by  a  stranger  present.  The 
natives  are  always  delighted  if  a  stranger  will 
attend  their  dances,  offer  him  the  best  place,  and 
treat  him  with  abundance  of  merissa.  Married 
women,  and  those  more  advanced  in  age,  scarcely 
ever  dance ;  they  are  mere  spectators,  or  pass  the 
time  in  a  different  manner,  more  agreeably  to  them- 
selves ;  they  form,  namely,  comme  cJiez  nous,  very 
polite  coteries  for  scandal,  where  the  neighbour 
who  happens  to  be  brought  on  the  tapis  is  by  no 
means  spared,  for  they  leave  no  hair  of  his  head 
untouched.  The  married  women,  again,  are  those 
who  pay  the  least  attention  to  the  seventh  com- 


HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS.  G7 

mandnient,  a  crime  wliich  is  considered  very  hein- 
ous according  to  the  Mahommedan  laws ;  the  girls, 
on  the  other  hand,  are  far  more  moral.  In  some 
parts  of  Kordofan,  the  men  consider  it  a  great 
honour  if  their  wives  have  several  admirers,  but 
the  difference  exists,  in  this  country,  that  the  ladies 
court  the  men. 

The  dress  of  both  men  and  women  is  very  sim- 
ple, for  only  the  Dongolavi,  the  wealthiest  of  all 
the  tribes,  wear  long  shirts  with  wide  sleeves, 
and  a  tackeeyeh,*  or  small  white  cap,  with  a  white 
shawl  on  their  heads,  like  the  turban  of  the  Turks ; 
red  caps  are  but  rarely  seen,  nor  is  the  tackee- 
yeh white  longer  than  one  day,  for  it  soon  be- 
comes, with  dirt  and  grease,  as  black  as  the  owner. 
All  the  other  tribes  are  nearly  naked ;  they  bind 
simply  a  cotton  cloth  round  their  loins,  throwing 
one  end  of  it  over  one  shoulder;  they  wear  no 
covering  to  their  heads,  but  let  their  hair  grow 
as  long  as  they  please,  or  braid  it  in  from  ten  to 
sixteen  plaits,  which,  however,  never  reach  their 
backs.  Every  man  carries  a  double-edged  dagger 
in  a  sheath  on  his  left  arm,  and  a  few  charms  sewn 
up  in  red  leather,  which  the  fakeers  write  and 
sell  to  them.  On  journeys,  they  wear  long  dou- 
ble-edged swords,  in  leathern  sheaths,  suspended 
by  a  short  strap  from  the  left  shoulder ;  the  hilts 
of  tli CM>  sabres  have  no  guards,  and  are  merely 
covered  with  leather.  The  sheikhs,  however,  bear 

*  Takie. 

F  2 


68  HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS.' 

swords  with  massive  silver  hilts,  terminating  in 
a  knob  as  large  as  a  hen's  egg  of  the  same  metal ; 
some  of  them  ornament  the  sheaths  with  agates, 
or  imitations  of  precious  stones  in  glass.  The  men 
carry  large  oval  shields  on  their  backs  made  of 
the  skin  of  the  antelope,  when  on  a  march.  They 
also  carry  a  number  of  spears,  or  javelins,  con- 
tained in  a  rude  leathern  quiver  hanging  from 
their  shoulders.  Short  tours  are  performed  on 
asses  ;  longer  journeys  on  camels  or  dromedaries. 
The  peasants  who  possess  no  camels  travel  short 
distances  on  oxen. 

The  dress  of  the  women  does  not  differ  from 
that  of  the  men  of  the  lower  orders,  for  they  also 
wear  a  large  cotton  cloth  bound  round  their  loins, 
part  of  which  is  thrown  over  one  shoulder.  When 
they  walk  out  they  sometimes  cover  their  heads 
with  this  cloth,  but,  whilst  at  work,  they  wind  the 
whole  of  it  round  their  loins.  These  melayeh,  as 
they  are  termed,  are  at  first  white,  then  proceed 
through  various  gradations  of  colour,  until  they 
lastly  become  black,  for  they  are  seldom  washed. 
In  washing  they  make  use  of  the  bark  of  a  tree 
called  Egelit,  instead  of  soap,  and  spread  the  linen 
on  a  piece  of  tanned  leather,  which  is  laid  in  a 
deep  hole  in  the  sand.  The  melayeh  of  the  Don- 
golavi  is  washed  with  soap,  and  is  generally  deco- 
rated with  a  broad  red  border.  It  is  also  adjusted 
with  a  certain  degree  of  care,  in  order  to  give  their 
dress  a  more  picturesque  appearance.  The  women 
wear  no  covering  on  their  heads,  but  roll  their 


HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS.  <i!) 

liair  into  curls,  smearing  them  well  with  butter  or 
oil  made  of  sim-sim.*  They  anoint  the  skin  of 
the  whole  body  with  a  pomatum  prepared  of  spike- 
nard,! mahleb,^:  and  tuffer  ;$  these  ingredients,  rubbed 
down  upon  a  stone,  are  called  "  telka."  The  oils  and 
butter  give  the  hair  a  certain  gloss,  as  long  as  it  is 
five  from  dust;  but  the  pomatum  on  the  head  soon 
becomes  rancid,  when  it  is  impossible  to  remain  long 
in  proximity  of  one  of  these  beauties,  without 
offence  to  the  olfactory  nerves.  Their  eyelids  are 
covered  with  powdered  antimony. ||  Women  who 
pride  themselves  on  their  head-dress,  and  do  not 
wish  to  discompose  their  curls,  make  use  of  a  small 
wooden  bench,  about  a  span  in  height,  and  hol- 
lowed out  above,  so  as  to  admit  the  neck,  as  a 
pillow  when  they  lie  down  to  sleep,  in  order  to 
avoid  pressing  their  curls.  It  is  the  most  incom- 
modious pillow  in  the  world,  but  the  women,  to 
gratify  vanity,  accustom  themselves  to  it,  as  the 
slave  becomes  inured  to  his  fetters,  and  sleep  very 
well,  notwithstanding  the  uncomfortable  position 
they  are  obliged  to  adopt.  An  idea  may  be  formed 
of  the  hardship  they  have  at  first  to  undergo,  in 

*  The  Arab  term  for  the  Sesamum. — TB. 

f  Spica  nanlus  ;   Valeriana  celtica. — TB. 

{  The  fruit  of  the  prunus  mahcdeb,  or  perfumed  cherry,  a  na- 
tive of  Austria. — TR. 

§  Dhofer  is  the  shell  of  an  animal  found  on  the  Red  Sea,  cut 
into  small  pieces  and  used  as  a  perfume,  emitting  a  pleasant  odour 
when  held  over  the  fire.  Bwrckkardt't  Trace  ,p.286. — TB. 

||  The  use  of  Kophel  is  of  very  great  antiquity,  and  is  men- 
tioned in  the  New  Testament  by  the  term  orifiifav  . — TR. 


70  HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS. 

considering  that    this    position   does  not    admit  of 
the  slightest  change  during  sleep  ;  but  as  our  belles 
willingly  allow  their  ribs  to  be  uncomfortably  com- 
pressed by  a  tight  corset  to  appear  with  a  small 
waist,   thus   the   women    of  Kordofan   voluntarily 
submit  to  this  torture  to  preserve  their  head-dress. 
The  toilette  of  these  children  of  nature  requires, 
moreover,  a  much  longer   time  than  that  of  our 
European  ladies,  for   the   number  of  curls  which 
are  matted  together  with  oil  and  grease  and  dust, 
until  they  form  one  dense  mass,  demand  consider- 
able  time   for   their   dressing.     As   they  have   no 
combs,  scissors,  pincers,  hair-pins,  or  other  imple- 
ments of  coiffure,  one  simple  wooden  peg  answers 
the  purpose  of  all  these  instruments,  and  we  may 
easily  imagine  that  a  great  deal  of  time  is  spent 
in  arranging  the  hundreds  of  curls  of  their  woolly 
hair.     The  women  wear  rings  in  their  noses  and 
ears,  mostly  of  silver  and  brass,  for  those  of  gold 
have  totally  disappeared,  or  have  become,  at  least, 
very  rare.     Several  of  them,  indeed,  wear  bracelets 
and  rings  of  silver  round  their  ankles,  the  latter 
decorated  with  small  pieces  of  coral  or  small  bells. 
The  greater  part  of  the  bracelets  worn  are  of  horn 
or    of    ivory,    frequently    two    inches    in    breadth, 
and  the  anklets   are  mostly  of  copper,  sometimes 
even  as  much  as  one  pound  in  weight.    Round  their 
necks  and  heads  the  women  wind  strings  of  beads 
of  Bohemian   glass ;   the  favourite  colour  is  dark 
blue.     Some  of  the  ladies  hang  small  round  plates 


HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS.  71 

of  gold,  an    inch   in  diameter,  on  their  foreheads, 
or  small  round  pieces  of  amber  of  the  same  size. 
On  their  fingers   they  wear  silver  rings   set  with 
cornelians.      They  are,  in   fact,  fond   of  anything 
that  shines  or  glitters,  and  has  a  bright  or  gaudy 
colour,  and  it  is  no  easy  matter,  at  times,  to  abstain 
from  laughter,   on  beholding   one   of  these   black 
beauties  in  full  dress.     I  have,  frequently,  on  the 
other   hand,  met  with    others  who   dressed   them- 
selves with  peculiar  taste,  so  that  they  really  pre- 
sented an  agreeable  appearance.     Women  who  are 
not  wealthy  wear  small  pearls,  or  small  red  berries, 
or  a  charm  sewn  up  in  red  leather  on  their  fore- 
heads.    On  their   arms  they  carry  ivory  or   horn 
bracelets ;  round  their  ankles  copper  rings  or  a  large 
milk-white   glass    bead  ;    round    their   necks   they 
hang  strings  of  blue  glass  beads,  and  in  their  noses 
and  ears  rings  of  brass.    The  unmarried  or  girls  walk 
about  naked,  and  bind  only  round  their  loins  a  fringed 
leathern   belt,  from  which   several    hundred    small 
thin  straps  depend.     This  girth  is  called  "  rahat," 
and  is  frequently  decorated  with  agates.     They  are, 
also,  very  fond  of  ornament,  and  adorn  their  heads 
and  necks  with  glass  beads.     The  boys  run  about 
in    a    perfect    state  of  nudity   up  to   their   twelfth 
year.     The  men  anoint  their  bodies,  like  the  wo- 
men, with  oil,  butter,  and  other  greasy  substamv-. 
not  so  much  for  the  purpose  of  giving  the  skin  a 
.U'loxsy  appearance,  as  to   preserve   it    from   cracking, 
to    which    inconvenience    it    would    IK-    very    liable, 


72  HABITS  AND   CUSTOMS. 

as  they  walk  about  uncovered,  exposing  themselves 
to  a  scorching  heat.  The  covering  to  the  feet 
consists  of  sandals  of  undressed  leather  bound  with 
straps ;  the  Dongolavi,  however,  wear  sandals  of 
tanned  leather,  decorated  with  coloured  straps.  On 
journeys,  some  of  the  natives  wear  sheepskin,  after 
the  same  fashion  as  the  miners*  of  Germany  a 
leather  behind  them,  to  avoid  sitting  down  naked 
on  the  burning  ground. 

Slaves  are  met  with  in  nearly  every  house  :  the 
female  portion  is  employed  in  domestic  work,  the 
male  in  agricultural  labour;  they  receive  once  a 
year,  at  the  feast  of  the  great  Baeram,  a  piece  of 
cotton  stuff;  which  wound  round  their  loins  consti- 
tutes their  whole  clothing.  They  are  treated  very 
well,  and,  in  most  families,  partake  of  the  same  fare 
as  their  masters.  The  badge  of  servitude  is,  how- 
ever, not  wanting ;  for  the  male  slaves  are  generally 
bound  in  fetters,  applied  to  their  legs,  to  prevent 
them  from  running  away.  I  never  saw  one  of  these 

*  The  miners  in  Germany  form  almost  a  particular  caste,  and 
are  distinguished  from  every  other  artizan  by  the  peculiarities 
of  their  dress.  It  consists  of  a  black  half  smock  of  glazed  linen, 
with  wide  sleeves,  contracted  at  the  wrist,  decorated  with  innu- 
merable buttons,  and  reaches  to  the  waist,  where  it  is  fastened 
by  a  broad  belt.  A  leather  apron,  worn  either  in  front,  or,  during 
their  work,  reversed,  completes  the  uniform.  The  latter  article  of 
dress  is  essential  to  them  in  their  occupation,  which  consists  of  sit- 
ting on  the  hard  rock  and  breaking  the  ore  away  with  their  ham- 
mers. The  head  is  covered  with  a  thick  felt  hat,  without  a  brim, 
on  the  crown  of  which  the  lantern  or  candle  is  placed,  during  their 
descent  into  the  mines. — TR. 


HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS.  73 

beings  illtreated  by  his  master  for  doing  too  little 
work ;  it  is  only  when  they  make  an  attempt  to  run 
away,  that  they  are  beaten.  The  female  slaves  run 
at  liberty,  and  unfettered ;  they  are  also  treated  with 
more  lenity,  especially  if  they  should  happen  to  be 
young  and  pretty,  or  when  the  master  admits  them  to 
the  rights  of  a  wife.  The  children,  born  by  these 
slaves,  are  the  property  of  the  owner,  who  may  sell 
them;  this  is,  however,  no  longer  the  case  in 
Egypt,  where  all  natural  children  are  treated  like 
Egyptians.  These  poor  creatures  have  equal 
cause  to  complain  of  their  masters,  as  some  slave- 
proprietors  make  this  a  branch  of  commerce ;  thus 
they  are  mostly  mustered  after  a  few  years, 
and  sold  to  slave-merchants,  who  take  them  down 
to  Grand  Cairo.  Europeans  must  be  very  careful 
in  purchasing  female  slaves,  and  ought  especially  to 
be  on  their  guard  against  those  who  speak  Arabic 
well,  for  many  of  them  are  acquainted  with  all 
kinds  of  tricks.  Many  slaves,  on  the  other  hand, 
are  not  to  be  purchased  from  their  proprietors, 
especially  if  they  are  well  taught ;  and  only 
when  they  have  not  adopted  the  faith  of  Is- 
lam, and  die,  are  they  treated  like  cattle.  These 
children  of  nature  frequently  behave  in  the  most 
singular  manner  when  they  take  an  object  that  is 
unknown  to  them  into  their  hands;  it  would,  in- 
deed, make  any  man  laugh  heartily  to  see  how  awk- 
wardly they  comport  themselves.  A  very  comical 
instance  of  the  kind  occurred  to  me  :  a  girl,  who 


74  HABITS  AND   CUSTOMS. 

was  suffering  from  head-ache,  begged  a  cloth  of  me 
to  bind  round  her  head,  and  I  lent  her  my  flag,*  as 
I  had  nothing  else  at  hand.  I  visited  her  on  the 
next  day,  thinking  to  find  her  ill  at  home,  but  was 
told  that  she  was  much  better,  and  had  gone  out. 
My  astonishment  at  meeting  the  handsome  girl,  in 
company  with  several  of  her  friends,  on  the  market- 
place, decked  out  with  my  flag  in  the  form  of  a 
woman's  frock,  may  be  easily  imagined;  and  my 
laughter  was  greatly  increased,  at  observing  the 
double-headed  eagle  expanded  in  full  glory  over  the 
centre  of  her  body.  Several  Turks,  who  were  pre- 
sent, were  likewise  attacked  with  fits  of  laughter ; 
but  the  belle,  and  her  friends,  found  this  decoration 
so  pretty,  that  I  was  besieged  with  entreaties  to  pre- 
sent them  also  with  like  fantasias ;  and  I  was  obliged 
to  use  all  possible  means  to  persuade  them,  and 
make  them  understand,  that  I  possessed  no  more 
articles  of  ornament  of  this  description,  and  that  I 
must  even  take  this  one  back.  The  handsome  girls 
were,  as  may  be  supposed,  by  no  means  pleased  with 
this  measure,  for  I  had  a  great  deal  of  trouble  in 
getting  my  flag  back  to  hoist  it  in  its  place  in  proper 
time. 

The  food  consists  chiefly  of  dokn  bread,  assida, 

*  It  is  customary  among  Europeans  travelling  on  the  Nile,  to 
hoist  their  national  flag,  a  custom  which  is  the  more  necessary,  as 
they,  by  so  doing,  avoid  many  enquiries,  which  are  made  at  differ- 
ent places  by  the  local  police,  and  thus  save  themselves  much 
trouble,  and  unnecessary  delay. 


HABITS   AND  CUSTOMS.  7.") 

and  woika.  The  dokn,  having  been  ground  on  a 
stone  to  flour,  is  put  into  an  earthen  pot,  and  con- 
verted, by  means  of  water,  into  a  thin  paste,  A  fire 
is  now  lighted  under  an  earthen-dish  (or  under  an 
iron-plate,  called  doga),  which  stands  on  three 
stones ;  when  the  dish  is  heated,  it  is  greased  with 
butter,  and  the  paste  is  spread  upon  it  in  the  shape 
and  size  of  an  ordinary  cake.  The  one  side  being 
baked,  the  bread  is  turned,  and  the  dish  again 
greased  with  butter.  These  cakes  are  about  the 
thickness  of  a  finger,  and  for  Europeans  very  indi- 
gestible ;  they  distend  the  stomach,  indeed,  awfully ; 
an  effect  produced  by  the  corn,  partly  because  the 
husks  are  not  separated  from  the  flour,  partly  be- 
cause the  bread  is  not  well  baked.  Those  who  are 
more  wealthy,  consume  a  better  kind  of  bread, 
which  has  also  a  more  pleasant  flavour ;  the  flour  is 
purified,  and  the  paste  more  fluid ;  it  is  spread  upon 
the  dish  by  means  of  a  small  brush,  but  otherwise 
prepared  in  the  same  manner  as  the  former  variety. 
Much  time  is  required  to  bake  the  necessary  quan- 
tity for  the  consumption  of  the  house.  More  than 
one  hour  is  spent  in  making  bread  enough  of  the 
latter  description  to  serve  two  persons  at  dinner. 
Fresh  bread  must,  therefore,  be  prepared  every  day  ; 
and  it  is  always  made  by  the  women;  for,  as  there 
is  no  mill  in  Kordofan,  every  one  is  obliged  to  grind 
the  quantity  of  flour  necessary  for  his  consumption 
daily.  This  is  done,  as  I  have  already  ol»er\v<I.  l>y 
female 


76  HABITS  AND   CUSTOMS. 

The  assida  and  woika  are  the  common  dishes  of 
the  natives  of  Kordofan.  The  former  consists  of 
flour,  boiled  after  the  fashion  of  the  Italian  polenta*; 
but  there  is  a  considerable  difference  in  the  mode 
of  preparing  this  mess  ;  for  the  poorer  class  use  the 
flour  in  its  natural  state,  whereas  the  wealthy 
natives  have  it  several  times  washed  in  water,  a 
process  rendering  it  much  whiter  and  purer.  Woika 
is  prepared  in  the  following  manner  : — The  natives 
take  pieces  of  beef,  dried  in  the  sun,  cut  for  the  pur- 
pose into  long  slips,  of  the  thickness  of  a  finger, 
which  form  in  every  family  a  part  of  the  household 
stores.  This  is  reduced  with  dried  bami^f  to  a 
coarse  powder  in  a  wooden  mortar.  Some  onions 
are  now  burnt  with  butter  in  an  earthen-pot,  over 
which  water  is  poured.  When  the  stock  boils, 
one  person  stirs  it  up,  whilst  another  gradually  adds 
the  pounded  meat  and  bamie',  until  it  forms  a  thick 
mass.  This  ragout,  or  currie,  is  then  poured  into 
the  assida  before  described,  and  served  up ;  it  has  a 
pleasant  flavour,  is  very  nutritious,  and  far  more 
wholesome  than  any  other  kind  of  animal  food.  A 
great  deal  of  meat  is  consumed ;  for  it  is  very  cheap, 
and  nearly  every  one  keeps  goats  and  sheep.  The 
Turks,  indeed,  do  not  eat  the  beef,  nor  is  it  to  be 
recommended  to  Europeans,  for  it  is  very  indi- 

*  Chesnut,  or  maize  flour,  boiled  in  water,  a  species  of  flummery. 
— TR. 

t  Bamie,  or  bamiyeh,  the  esculent  hibiscus :  the  part  eaten  is  a 
polygonal  pod  full  of  seeds  and  nutritive  mucilage.  Lanes  Mo- 
dern Egyptians,  note>ip.  199. — TH. 


HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS.  77 

,  and  of  ill  flavour.  The  oock'ckah,*  of  two 
pounds  and  three  quarters,  does  not  cost  more  than 
twenty  paras  (twopence);  and  it  is  sold  in  the  mar- 
ket-place of  Lobeid  without  the  bones.  In  the 
country,  it  is  retailed  at  half  this  amount;  and  the 
price  of  the  piece  bargained  for  is  fixed,  without 
weighing  it,  by  judging  by  the  eye  alone.  There  is 
no  deficiency  of  fowls,  pigeons,  and  various  species 
of  gazelles ;  these,  however,  are  luxuries  which  are 
only  to  be  met  with  in  the  houses  of  the  wealthy, 
and  on  festive  occasions.  Every  family  dines  at  mid- 
day ;  the  men  are  first  served ;  and  when  they  have 
finished  their  meal,  the  women  and  children  sit 
down.  A  straw-mat  is  spread  upon  the  sand,  in 
the  centre  of  which  a  wooden  dish  is  placed,  con- 
taining assida  and  woika;  while  the  necessary  bread 
is  served  up  on  a  flat  straw-dish.  Every  one  present 
in  the  hut,  the  family  as  well  as  strangers,  for  no 
invitation  is  required,  sit  down,  with  their  legs  bent 
under  them,  on  the  straw-mat  round  the  dish ;  and, 
on  being  invited  by  the  master  of  the  house  with 
the  word,  Bishmillah  (in  the  name  of  God)  to  help 
themselves,  all  plunge  their  hands  at  the  same  time 
into  the  dish.  Each  person  now  takes  as  much  as 
he  can  hold  in  his  five  fingers,  and  conveys  it  to  his 
mouth.  The  bread  is  generally  eaten  at  the  same 

*  The  oock'ckah  is=400  dir'hems,  is  from  3  ft).  3  oz.  13J  dwt., 
to  3  ft).  4  oz.  troy;  or  from  2  5).  11  oz.  8  dr.  1SJ  gr.,to  about,  or 
nearly  12  Ib.  1 2  oz.,  or  2  J Ib.  avoirdupois.   Vide  Lanes  M<*1> 
tin/at,  Lffiran/  <>f  Enft'ftiuitiny  A'/^r/r./V,  ujycmlijc,  p.  578. — TR. 


78  HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS. 

time;  and  thus  they  proceed,  taking  one  handful 
after  the  other,  until  the  dish  is  emptied  of  the  last 
morsel.  If  a  stranger  cease  to  eat  first,  the  master 
of  the  house  invites  him  to  continue,  not  as  a  mat- 
ter of  ceremonious  courtesy,  but  in  true  kindness. 
During  dinner  little  is  spoken,  for  each  individual 
endeavours  above  all  things  to  satisfy  hunger.  In 
the  villages,  curds  and  bread  are  served  up  in  the 
dish  at  meals.  The  poorer  class  have  not  always 
assida,  but  the  woika  alone,  and  bread  and  milk. 
When  the  contents  of  a  dish  are  coming  to  an  end, 
one  man  rises  after  the  other.  The  master  of  the 
house  receives  no  thanks,  nor  does  he,  indeed,  ex- 
pect them ;  for  it  is  regarded  as  an  understood  thing, 
that  every  one  must  be  satisfied  who  happens  to  be 
present  at  the  time  of  the  meals.  They  wash  their 
hands  before,  and  after  eating,  and  the  same  ablu- 
tion is  performed  in  the  evening  at  sun-set. 

During  the  dinner,  water  is  only  handed  round  in 
gourds  to  drink ;  when  the  meal  is  over  the  merissa 
is  served  up.  This  description  of  beer  is  met  with 
in  all  the  villages  of  Kordofan  with  but  few  excep- 
tions ;  and  even  among  the  nomadic  tribes,  it  is 
seldom  missing,  except,  indeed,  when  the  harvest 
has  been  particularly  unsuccessful.  Merissa  is 
brewed  in  the  following  manner : — the  dokn  forms 
the  chief  basis :  it  is  allowed  to  germinate  first,  as 
the  barley  in  Germany,  dried  in  the  sun,  and  then 
bruised  between  stones.  Cakes  of  bread  are  now 
made,  placed  in  a  pot  and  covered  with  water,  and 


HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS.  79 

when  this  liquor  has  sufficiently  fermented, — a  process 
requiring  two  days, — it  is  filtered  through  a  sieve 
formed  of  rushes.  This  merissa  must  be  drunk 
immediately,  for  with  the  third  day  it  begins  to 
turn  acid,  a  result  which  is  not  to  be  wondered  at 
considering  the  intense  heat  of  the  climate,  for  they 
have  no  cellars  in  which  they  could  preserve  it  for 
any  length  of  time.  The  same  merissa  repeatedly 
filtered  until  it  has  become  clearer  is  called  bill-bill ; 
but  bill-bill  prepared  with  sugar,  nutmeg,  cloves,  and 
other  optional  drugs  forms  sansugot.  The  latter  be- 
verage is  made  in  various  ways.  It  is  an  agreeable j 
drink  and  very  cooling.  As  a  rule  it  is  far  more  con- 
ducive to  health  to  drink  a  larger  quantity  of  merissa 
than  of  water  in  this  climate,  and  I  advise  travellers 
in  particular  to  observe  this  prescription,  the  more 
so  as  I  found  by  experience  that,  as  soon  as  I  discon- 
tinued water,  and  commenced  drinking  merissa  and 
brandy,  the  fever  and  dysentery,  of  which  I  could  not 
get  rid  before,  left  me.  I  have  also  known  natives, 
who,  confining  themselves  to  merissa,  never  drank 
one  drop  of  water  throughout  the  year,  and  these 
men  were,  without  exception,  the  healthiest;  where- 
as the  water-drinkers  were  always  attacked  witli 
fever  during  the  rainy  season. 

In  those  districts,  where  the  inhabitants  occupy 
themselves  with  agriculture,  as  at  the  foot  of  Mount 
Konlofaii,  merissa  flows  in  great  abundance,  and  the 
greater  part  of  the  men  are,  consequently,  in  a  state 
of  intoxication  all  the  year  round,  for  they  never  take 


80  HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS. 

the  vessel  containing  it  from  their  mouths  from  early 
in  the  morning  until  late  at  night.  In  Lobeid,  and 
in  many  villages,  there  are  houses  for  the  sale  of 
merissa,  where  this  beverage  is  served  by  very 
pretty  girls,  who  are  also  excellent  dancers,  and  thus 
attract  many  guests.  They  are,  moreover,  so  very 
acute  that  you  might  believe  them  to  have  been 
brought  up,  or  at  least  to  have  received  a  lesson,  in 
one  of  the  capitals  of  Europe.  Mehemed  Ali, 
a  few  years  ago,  put  down  public  prostitution  in 
Egypt,  and  some  of  the  refugees  found  an  asylum  in 
Kordofan  and  Sennaar.  When  the  governor  or  other 
Turks  give  &fete,  they  always  engage  some  of  these 
able  performers  to  amuse  their  guests.  They  come 
accompanied  by  a  clown,  and  besides  their  original 
dances  give  plastic  representations  which,  be  they 
ever  so  trifling  or  even  offensive  against  the  mahom- 
medan  law,  afford  much  pleasure.  I  saw  travesties 
of  this  kind  performed  in  presence  of  the  governor, 
in  which  the  government  and  its  respective  func- 
tionaries were  faithfully  portrayed,  and  affairs  were 
represented  such  as  too  frequently  occur  in  reality ; 
but  no  offence  is  ever  taken  at  these  plays,  they,  on 
the  contrary,  only  increase  the  laughter  of  those 
who  feel  themselves  hit. 

Brandy  is  distilled  at  Lobeid  only,  from  dates 
imported  from  Dongola :  the  natives  are  very  fond  of 
it,  but  it  is  too  expensive  an  enjoyment  for  them  to 
indulge  in  to  intoxication,  or  to  drink  instead  of 
merissa;  for  the  bottle  costs  nine  piasters  or  fifty- 


HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS.  81 

four  cniitzers  (equal  to  about  two  shillings  and 
sixpence).  The  wealthy  inhabitants,  therefore,  and 
the  Turkish  officers  only  drink  brandy.  Festivals 
like  those  kept  in  Egypt  are  not  known  in  Kordo- 
fan,  for  the  natives  in  general  are  not  sufficiently 
wealthy  to  spend  large  sums  on  the  like  amuse- 
ments, and  it  is  not,  moreover,  customary  to  give 
feasts  at  marriages,  circumcisions,  and  other  occa- 
sions of  this  kind.  If  a  man  be  about  to  marry, 
he  goes  straightways  to  the  father  of  the  bride 
he  has  selected,  and  before  exchanging  a  word  with 
her  concludes  the  contract,  determining  the  allow- 
ance he  proposes  to  make  to  his  future  wife. 

The  marriage  portion  consists  either  in  money, 
oxen,  sheep,  goats,  or  other  articles  of  domestic 
economy,  and  is  at  the  same  time  the  property  of 
the  woman,  although  she  may  be  shortly  divorced 
from  her  husband.  Marriages  are  contracted  with 
very  little  ceremony,  for  as  soon  as  the  bridegroom 
has  agreed  with  the  father  of  the  bride  on  the 
bargain,  he  takes  the  woman  of  his  choice  home, 
hews  the  rahat,  or  fringed  virginal  girdle  with  a 
knife  in  innumerable  pieces,  covers  her  with  a 
rnelayeh  as  a  sign  that  she  is  now  his  wife,  and  the 
ceremony  thus  terminates.  The  nearest  neighbours 
are  at  the  most  invited  to  a  dinner ;  merissa  is  served 
up,  and  the  whole  affair  is  concluded  with  the 
customary  dances.  If  the  bride  belong  to  one  of  the 
tribes  who  practise  circumcision,  she  is  certainly 
forced  to  subject  herself  to  a  fresh  operation  twenty 

G 


82  HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS. 

days  before  her  marriage.     When  a  woman  is  ill- 
treated  by  her  husband,  or  there  exists  any  other 
cogent  reason,  she  requests  to  be  divorced  from  him, 
and  the  separation  is  effected  without  the  slightest 
difficulty.     She  takes,  her  marriage  portion,  and  if 
there  be  children,  the  girls  away  with  her,  whilst 
the  boys  remain  with  the  father.     A  separation  is, 
however,  frequently  insisted  upon  without  any  good 
cause,  for  if  the  husband  does  not  make  his  wife  a 
sufficient  allowance   of  telka,*  she  may  sue  for  a 
divorce.       Many   men    separate    from   their   wives 
when  they  begin  to  age,  as  they  generally  do  after 
the  birth  of  the  second  child,  and  marry  a  second 
time  with   a  young  girl.     To  these  cast-off  wives  a 
tukkoli  is  then  accorded,  and  a  maintenance  suffici- 
ent to  keep  them,  consisting  generally  of  twenty 
paras,  little  more  than  three  halfpence  daily.     The 
rich  of  course  are  only  able  to  follow  this  custom, 
one  man,  however,  scarcely  ever  has  more  than  two 
wives  in  lawful  wredlock ;  but  every  one  keeps   a 
number  of  female  slaves  as  concubines,  especially 
when  his  wives  begin  to  grow  old.     They  do  not 
pay  much  attention  to  those  clauses  in  matrimony, 
prescribed  by  the  mahommedan  religion,  and  to  which 

*  A  pomatum  for  anointing  the  body,  prepared  from  Spikenard, 
Mahaleb,  and  Tuffer.  Burckhardt,  in  his  Travels  in  Nubia,  p.  200, 
mentions  a  preparation  of  sheep's-fat,  soap,  musk,  pulverized  san- 
dal-wood, senbal,  i.  e.,  Spikenard,  and  Mahaleb.  Brown  names 
as  one  of  the  articles  of  this  unguent,  dufr,  a  species  of  shell  of  a 
fish  used  for  perfume. — Browns  Travels  in  Africa,  Egypt,  and 
Syria. — TR. 


HABITS   AND  CUSTOMS.  83 

the  Moslem  ins  rigidly  adhere.  The  birth  of  a 
eli i Id  is  attended  with  little  or  no  festivity,  and  the 
husband  pays  but  slight  attention  to  his  wife  during 
this  critieal  period,  for  every  one  knows  that  labours 
are  mostly  natural,  and  terminate  quickly  and  suc- 
cessfully. A  midwife  and  an  elderly  relation  at 
the  utmost  are  present  in  the  hut  with  the  parturient 
woman,  and  when  the  child  is  born,  a  drink,  consist- 
ing of  soda,  dried  dates,  and  milk,  which  is  very 
cooling,  or  water  only,  is  offered  to  the  mother.  On 
the  second,  frequently  even  on  the  first  day,  the 
woman  leaves  her  bed  and  goes  about  her  ordinary 
occupations.  Parents  are  very  fond  of  their  children, 
and  are  never  known  to  beat  them  for  any  error 
they  may  have  committed.  The  care  and  education 
of  the  young  is  left  entirely  to  the  mother;  until 
they  have  attained  a  more  mature  age,  the  father 
troubles  himself  but  little  about  his  children. 
When  a  mother  weans  her  child — children  at  the 
In-cast  are,  however,  frequently  fed  with  bread 
soaked  in  water — and  it  has  attained  the  age  of  one 
year,  it  may  be  seen  with  an  onion  in  its  little  hands, 
gnawing  it  with  as  much  pleasure  as  our  European 
children  evince  in  sucking  preparations  of  sugar. 
Wild  fruits  are  also  given  to  them,  and  yet  the 
children  are  for  the  most  part  healthy  and  strong, 
with  this  one  exception,  that  they  all,  up  to  a  certain 
age,  have  protuberant  abdomina,  a  consequence  of 
feeding  them  on  bread,  which  causes  distention  even 
in  grown-up  persons.  Whilst  the  children  aiv 

o  2 


84  HABITS  AND   CUSTOMS. 

very  young,  they  are  laid  in  cradles,  or  rather  ham- 
mocks, consisting  of  a  cotton  cloth,  attached  with 
cords  by  its  four  ends  to  a  beam. 

Circumcision  is  generally  performed  according 
to  the  custom  of  the  Moslems,  between  the  fourth 
and  sixth  year.  I  also  met  with  some  few  tribes, 
where  circumcision  of  the  female  was  practised  ; 
this,  however,  is  a  popular  custom,  totally  uncon- 
nected with  religious  rites,  and  is  probably  intended 
to  prove  to  the  bridegroom,  who  is  about  to  marry, 
that  the  girl  is  a  virgin, — a  circumstance  to  which 
these  tribes  attach  much  importance.  The  Turks, 
and  others,  have  a  peculiar  ceremony  on  the  occa- 
sion of  their  marriage  festivals,  by  which  the  bride- 
groom, on  the  day  of  his  marriage,  convinces  himself 
of  the  virginity  of  his  bride ;  but  this  test  is  liable 
to  fallacy,  which  is  not  possible  with  circumcision. 
The  operation  of  circumcision*  is  performed  on  girls 
when  they  are  five,  or,  at  the  utmost,  seven  years  of 
age,  and  is  attended  with  festivities,  for  which  no 
expense  is  shunned ;  it  constitutes,  indeed,  a  festival, 
against  which  the  poorer  people  begin  to  save  money 
a  year  before  it  takes  place,  that  nothing  may  be 
wanting  to  add  to  its  celebration.  From  four  to 
eight  days  before  the  period  of  circumcision  they 
dance  and  sing  all  day  long  until  late  at  night ;  but 
on  the  actual  day  of  the  operation,  the  dancing 

*  Or  rather,  probably,  excision,  a  custom  of  great  antiquity. — 
Vide   Strabo  Lib.  xviiv  Kcu,  rci  TraiSia  Trepirepvtiv  /cat  TCI   6rj\ea 


HABITS   AND  CUSTOMS.  85 

:in<l  sinking  is  kept  up  during  the  whole  night. 
Professional  performers  are  hired  for  the  occa- 
sion, merissa  is  distributed,  in  short,  everything  is 
done  to  afford  amusement  to  the  poor  victim,  and 
to  induce  her  to  forget  the  bitter  moment  which 
u waits  her.  When  the  important  hour  arrives,  all 
the  men  are  turned  out  of  the  hut ;  but  the  mother, 
and  a  few  women,  remain  with  the  girl,  partly  to 
hold  her  during  the  operation,  partly  to  encourage 
her  to  bear  it  with  fortitude.  The  patient  is  now 
stretched  upon  an  angareb,  and  the  women  sur- 
rounding her  grasp  her  feet,  arms,  head,  and  body 
firmly,  so  that  she  cannot  move  ;  an  elderly  matron 
then  approaches  with  a  common  razor,  and  per- 
forms the  operation.  At  this  moment,  both  those 
within  the  hut,  and  those  without,  become  merry 
to  ecstacy;  they  applaud  until  their  hands  burn 
with  clapping;  the  dara'book'keh  is  beaten  until  the 
skin  is  ready  to  burst ;  and  the  singers  exert  their 
voices  to  the  utmost,  with  deafening  eagerness,  in 
order  to  drown  the  cries  of  pain  of  the  little  suf- 
ferer, which,  nevertheless,  penetrate  through  all  this 
noise.  The  incision  is  performed  from  below  -up- 
wards, and  removes  the  external  organs  of  the  girl. 
Haemorrhage  is  stopped  Avith  butter,  the  bark  of  a 
tree,  beaten  into  fine  fibre,  is  laid  into  the  wound, 
instead  of  lint,  and  a  piece  of  wood,  about  the  size 
of  a  quill,  is  inserted,  to  prevent  its  edges  from 
adhering  together.  The  great  toe  of  each  toot  is 
then  firmly  tied  together,  and  in  this  extended  posi- 


86  HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS. 

tion  the  little  patient  lias  to  lie  for  twenty  long 
days  on  an  angareb.  During  this  period,  very  little 
is  given  her  to  drink,  and  she  is  lifted  out  of  bed, 
at  the  most  twice,  daily.  The  wound  generally 
heals  successfully  ;  but  it  frequently  happens  that  a 
girl  has  to  undergo  a  second  operation  two  years 
after  the  first,  or  a  little  later,  for  they  marry  in 
this  country  at  an  early  age. 

When  the  bridegroom  has  concluded  the  mar- 
riage contract  with  the  father,* 
The  second  operation  is  now  performed,  which  the 
girl  bears  with  more  patience,  as  she  enters  on  a 
married  life  immediately  after  she  has  recovered 
from  her  sufferings.  Twenty  days  are  on  this  occa- 
sion required  for  the  cure ;  whereupon  the  bride- 
groom, as  I  before  mentioned,  hues  the  rahat  of  the 
girl  into  pieces,  and  dresses  his  bride  with  the 
melayeh. 

Another  operation,  which  is  quite  as  painful,  and 
infinitely  more  revolting,  is  performed  on  the  young 
male  slaves,  who  are  intended  for  the  guards  of  the 
harems  of  the  Turks,  and  other  moslems.  A  sheikh 
at  Lobeid,  named  Sultan  Tehm^,f  performs  this 
operation.  Boys  of  eight,  or  nine  years  of  age,  are 
generally  brought  to  him  for  mutilation.  The  opera- 
tion is  performed  in  his  court,  where  the  poor  victim 
is  stretched  upon  the  ground  like  a  head  of  cattle. 

*  Mulieri    in   manum    conventurae    mentulae   suae    irnaginem 
ligneam  seu  luto  formatam  sponsus  mittit. — TR. 
f  See  the  chapter  entitled  the  capital  Lobeid. 


HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS.  87 

Sacks,  filled  with   sand,  are  laid  upon  his  feet  and 
chest,  which  are  so  heavy  that  the  poor  boy  can 
scarcely  breathe  beneath  their  weight.   With  one  in- 
cision, with  a  common  razor,  the  organs  of  generation 
of  the  unfortunate  being  are  removed  ;  haemorrhage 
is  arrested  with  melted  butter,  and  the  bark  of  a 
tree,  beaten  into  fibre,  is  then  laid  as  dressing  on  the 
wound,  while  a  piece  of  lead,  of  the  size  of  a  quill,  is 
inserted   into   the   urethra,  to  keep  that  necessary 
passage  open.     The   patient   remains   twenty  days 
under  treatment,  at  the  expiration  of  which  term, 
he  is  returned  to  his  master.     More  than  one  half 
of  these  unfortunate  boys  die  under  the  operation,  or 
during  their  march  to  Egypt,  for  very  few  of  them 
ever  reach  the  place  of  their  destination.    The  price 
of  these  eunuchs  is,  consequently,  generally  double 
that  of  a  common  slave.     The  operator  receives  ten 
reals,  at  fifteen  piasters,  for  each  operation.     Two 
boys  are  also  frequently  given  to  the  mutilator,  the 
one  of  which  must  be  returned  to  the  owner,  whilst 
he  keeps  the  other  in  lieu  of  payment.     Castrates 
are,  indeed,  made   in  Semiaar,  and  Upper   Egypt ; 
but  those  of  Lobeid  are  in  greater  request. 

The  death  of  a  native  is  immediately  made 
known  by  the  cry  of  "  Lu,  lu,  lu,  lu  !"  which  the 
women  set  up,  bringing-  the  notes  out  separately  at 
certain  intervals,  and  resting  upon  them  with  their 
voice.  Not  only  the  nionrneix  but  all  the  women, 
who  happen  to  l>e  present  at  the  time,  join  in  the 
dismal  dirge.  This-  lamentation  is  continued  until 


88  HABITS  AND   CUSTOMS. 

sun-set,  and  repeated  on  the  following  day.  The 
corpse  is  then  washed,  wrapped  in  a  white  cotton 
cloth,  if  his  means  were  adequate  to  the  expense, 
and  is  carried  on  a  stretcher  to  the  place  of  sepul- 
ture, and  there  interred.  His  widows  mourn  always 
in  company  with  their  female  friends,  until  their 
grief  is  allayed, — a  result  which  requires  a  few  days 
only,  especially  if  they  be  young,  and  pretty,  and 
wish  to  marry  again.  This  mode  of  mourning  is  not 
only  customary  where  the  deceased  was  a  grown-up 
person ;  but  if  a  child,  a  few  days  old,  die,  it  is  ho- 
noured with  the  same  ceremony  during  a  few  days. 
The  negro  women  are  very  susceptible,  both  to  pain 
and  pleasure  ;  and  I  have  frequently,  on  these  occa- 
sions, seen  them  writhing,  as  if  beside  themselves, 
in  the  sand,  biting  their  arms,  until  the  blood 
flowed  in  sincere  grief,  and  not  for  outward  show. 

There  are  certain  districts  in  Kordofan,  the  agri- 
cultural population  of  which  inhabit  two  different 
villages  in  the  year ;  for  even  in  several  of  the  most 
fertile  tracts  of  land,  water  is  at  times  entirely  want- 
ing, more  especially  during  the  dry  season.  Whole 
villages,  therefore,  are  frequently  necessitated  to  re- 
instate themselves  in  localities  a  few  miles  distant 
from  their  former  place  of  residence,  where  they 
find  wells.  The  whole  of  their  domestic  utensils 
will  not  overload  an  ox,  hence  an  emigration  of  this 
nature  is  quickly  effected,  and  without  much  diffi- 
culty. Those  tribes  who  occupy  themselves  with 
the  tillage  of  land,  possess  but  few  horses  or  camels, 


HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS.  89 

but  a  more  considerable  number  of  oxen,  sheep,  and 
goats.  The  oxen  are  broken  in  for  riding  and  carry- 
ing  loads.  In  some  villages  the  herds  of  horned 
cattle  are  very  considerable.  When  the  herds  of  a 
village  are  driven  out,  the  drover  either  rides  before 
or  after  them  on  an  ox  ;  each  animal  has  its  peculiar 
name,  by  which  the  herdsman  recalls  it,  if  it  stray  to 
either  side  or  remain  behind  the  drove.  The  animals 
quickly  hear  his  voice,  understand  it  well,  and  are 
very  obedient  to  his  command.  If  a  head  of  cattle 
st  ray  too  far  from  the  herd,  and  do  not  hear  his  call, 
he  rides  after  it,  and  brings  it  back  without  any 
difficulty.  These  herdsmen  ride  very  well,  and  it 
is  a  matter  of  astonishment  to  see  them  going  along 
at  full  gallop  on  a  very  young  ox.  They  ride  on 
the  bare  back  of  the  animal,  with  a  cord  passed 
through  the  nose  of  the  beast,  answering  the  pur- 
pose of  a  bit.  In  many  villages  in  isolated  situa- 
tions, tar  distant  from  other  habitations,  where  the 
cattle,  therefore,  cannot  easily  stray  and  become 
mixed  with  other  herds,  there  are  no  drovers,  but 
when  the  cows  have  been  milked  in  the  morning  the 
enclosures  are  opened,  and  the  whole  herd  is  let 
out.  They  all  proceed  straightways  to  a  well,  where 
they  are  watered  in  troughs,  hollowed  out  of  the 
trunks  of  trees,  and  when  they  have  finished  drink- 
ing and  are  all  collected  together,  an  old  ox  taking 
the  lead,  shows  them  the  way  and  the  whole  drove 
follows  him.  It  is  astonishing  how  accurately  they 
follow  their  leader,  who  frequently  conducts  them  to 


90  HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS. 

a  pasture  situated  at  a  distance  of  two  hours'  march 
from  the  village,  and  brings  them   all  safely  back 
again.     The   most   remarkable   part  of  the    affair, 
however,  is  that  they  always  re-assemble  at  the  well 
punctually  at  half  an  hour  before  sunset,  whether 
they  have  been   one   mile  or  eight  miles  distant. 
I  observed  this  fact  at  the  village  of  Ledet,  where  I 
met  the  cattle  at  a  distance  of  eight  miles  from  the 
huts,  and,  to  my  great  astonishment,  saw  no  herds- 
man.    On  my  arrival  in  the  village  I  asked  what 
this  meant,  and  was  told  that  it  had  been  the  custom 
from  time  immemorial,  to  allow  the  cattle  to  go  un- 
attended to  pasture  in  this  village,  as  it  is  in  many 
others  ;  and  that  an  animal  very  rarely  strayed.     In 
order  to  be  the  better  able  to  look  after  a  beast 
which  might  possibly  be  lost,  a  circumstance,  how- 
ever, of  very  rare  occurrence,  it  is  only  necessary  to 
observe  the  direction  the  herd  takes  in  wandering 
out  in  the  morning.     I  was  told  that,  a  few  months 
before  my  arrival,  a  cow  belonging  to  this  place  was 
missing  when  the  herd  returned.     As  the  animal 
did  not  come  back  in  the  night,  the  owner  mounted 
a  camel  with  the  first  dawn  of  day,  provided  himself 
with  a  supply  of  bread  and  water  sufficient  for  four 
days,  and  rode  out  in  the  direction  the  cattle  had 
taken  on  the  former  day.     Having  arrived  at  the 
place  of  pasture  he  traversed  it  in  all  directions,  until 
he  came  upon  the  track  of  a  camel  and  a  cow,  which 
he    followed   up   during   two   whole   days,  until    it 
brought  him  to  an  encampment  of  the  Kubbabeesh, 


HABITS  AND   CUSTOMS.  91 

where  he  found  his  lost  cow  alive;  nor  did  he  ex- 
perience the  slightest  difficulty  about  its  restitu- 
tion. The  cows  are  milked  throughout  the  country 
t  wice  daily,  once  in  the  morning  at  sunrise,  and 
again  in  the  evening,  but  they  yield  very  little  milk, 
which  in  an  hour's  time  turns  sour  and  thick.  The 
baskets  made  of  rushes,  into  which  the  cows  are 
milked,  can  never  be  washed  thoroughly  clean,  and 
are  probably  the  chief  cause  of  the  deterioration  of 
the  milk ;  it  is  consequently  impossible  to  keep  it 
for  any  length  of  time.  Butter  is  quickly  made,  and 
without  any  difficulty.  As  soon  as  the  necessary 
quantity  of  milk  is  obtained  it  is  put  into  leathern 
bags,  which  are  fastened  to  a  piece  of  wood,  and 
shaken  about  for  some  time  until  the  butter  is 
ready.  A  small  yellow  fruit  is  sometimes  added 
to  the  milk,  and  greatly  accelerates  the  buty- 
ration. 

In  many  villages  a  market  is  held  once  a  week, 
when  every  inhabitant  must  provide  himself  with 
supplies  for  the  whole  week,  as  nothing  is  to  be 
purchased  on  the  intervening  days;  this  rule  ap- 
plies more  especially  to  tobacco,  an  article  of  con- 
sumption which  ranks,  with  many  natives,  before 
food.  As  a  proof  of  this  assertion  I  may,  per- 
haps, be  allowed  to  mention  the  following  occur- 
eiire  : — In  a  village  where  a  market  is  generally 
held  every  week,  a  fire  broke  out  and  burnt  the  hut 
of  an  old  man  to  the  very  ground.  The  proprietor 
quietly  looking  on  at  a  distance,  and  consoled 


92  HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS. 

himself  with  an  exclamation  of  "  Allah-Kerim " 
(God  is  merciful) ;  he  then  approached  me,  and  I, 
expecting  to  hear  a  dismal  tale,  had  a  trifling  present 
in  readiness  for  him,  but  greatly  was  I  astonished 
when  he  refused  the  present,  and  begged  of  me  to 
give  him  merely  a  handful  of  tobacco,  as  his  whole 
supply  was  consumed  in  the  conflagration. 

The  natives  of  Kordofan  are  a  very  good  tempered 
people,  and  the  traveller  meets  everywhere  with 
a  kind  and  hospitable  reception.  If  he  arrive  at 
midday,  or  in  the  evening  in  a  village,  he  has  only 
to  choose  a  hut,  which  the  inhabitant  immediately 
quits,  leaving  it  entirely  at  the  disposal  of  his  guest. 
The  natives  content  themselves,  in  the  meantime, 
with  being  quartered  on  their  next  neighbours,  or 
they  will  pass  the  whole  time,  if  the  weather  permit 
it,  in  the  open  air.  If  he  do  not  despise  their  fare,  he 
will  not  have  a  sous  of  outlay,  neither  for  himself, 
his  servant,  nor  for  his  camels,  who  find  their  food 
close  to  the  village.  The  inhabitants  perform  all  the 
services  he  may  require  willingly,  and  without  the 
slightest  contradiction,  and  he  will  hear  nothing  of 
the  "  backsheesh,"  so  troublesome  among  the  Egyp- 
tians. The  only  custom  which  the  stranger  will  find 
a  nuisance,  are  the  visits  with  which  he  is  honoured 
in  great  numbers  soon  after  his  arrival.  The  judge, 
and  persons  of  influence  in  the  village,  enter  the  hut, 
whilst  the  rest  encamp  around  it  in  the  open  air. 
The  ceremonies  commence  with  greetings,  and  then 
a  hundred  questions  are  asked,  as,  whence  he  came  ? 


HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS.  93 

where  he  is  travelling  to?  what  has  befallen  him 
on  the  road?  whether  he  have  heard  of  any  fresh 
war,  and  the  like?  in  fact  they  scarcely  allow  him 
time  to  breathe,  and  he  has  barely  answered  one 
question  before  a  hundred  fresh  inquiries  are  made. 
The  servant  has  to  suffer  more  even  than  the  master 
from  their  importunities ;  for  they  endeavour  to 
obtain  all  possible  information  indirectly  from  him. 
They  ask  him  who  the  stranger  is  ?  whether  he  is  a 
person  of  consideration  ?  to  which  nation  he  belongs  ? 
and  anything  else,  in  fact,  they  may  deem  worthy  of 
knowing.  If  they  hear  that  he  is  a  Frank,  then  the 
conflux  becomes  great  indeed.  All  the  sick  persons 
in  the  village  are  dragged  into  his  presence,  and  he 
is  entreated  to  give  advice  and  medicine.  Protesta- 
tions to  the  effect  that  he  is  no  medical  man  are  of 
no  use,  for  a  Frank  must  be  a  hakkim,  and  the 
stranger  has  no  alternative  left  him,  but  to  console 
them  with  the  hope  of  recovery  through  Providence, 
if  he  will  not  make  use  of  common  domestic  remedies 
Should  he  have  coffee  and  sugar  served,  or  at  least 
a  pipe  of  good  tobacco,  he  will  cause  them  a  great 
pleasure.  Every  man  takes  a  few  whiffs  from  the 
pipe  and  then  hands  it  to  his  neighbour,  and  thus  it 
circulates  among  them.  He  must  not,  however,  ima- 
gine that,  when  the  pipe  is  out  and  the  coftee  finished, 
the  natives  will  take  their  leave,  for  they  become 
then,  on  the  contrary,  more  talkative  as  their  bash- 
fulness  is  dissipated  by  his  condescension.  There  k 
in  fine,  no  other  way  of  getting  rid  of  these  trouble- 


94  HABITS  AND  CUSTOMS. 

some  visitors  than  by  pretending  to  be  overcome  with 
sleep  from  weariness  and  fatigue.  When  they  ob- 
serve his  eyes  to  be  shut  they  all  rise,  and  leave  the 
hut  so  quietly  that  they  are  scarcely  heard.  Having 
got  rid  of  the  men  the  worst  is  not  yet  over,  for  then 
come  the  women  tormented  with  curiosity  to  see  a 
Frank.  They  assemble  generally  at  some  distance 
before  the  hut  he  inhabits,  and  anxiously  await  the 
moment  he  may  quit  the  house  and  exhibit  himself 
to  them.  At  first  they  are  afraid  to  approach,  but 
in  a  short  time,  or  by  presenting  a  piece  of  sugar  to 
their  children,  they  become  as  familiar  with  him  as 
if  he  had  lived  for  years  among  them.  The  villages 
situated  on  the  road  to  Dongola  or  Khartoom  are 
very  much  plagued  by  the  frequent  marches  of 
troops  through  them,  and  especially  with  the  fre- 
quent journeys  of  the  Turkish  officers.  The  latter 
on  arriving  at  a  village,  immediately  take  possession 
of  the  best  hut,  leave  the  inhabitants  no  time 
to  take  their  few  chattels  away  with  them,  but 
drive  them  out  whip  in  hand,  and  heap  every  species 
of  abuse  on  the  poor  natives.  All  the  articles  of 
food  they  require  are  demanded  in  an  authoritative 
tone,  and  if  they  be  not  immediately  forthcoming  they 
again  resort  to  the  whip;  and  fowls,  or  pigeons,  or  any 
living  thing  that  is  not  willingly  given,  is  shot  down 
by  the  officer  or  his  servants  in  the  streets  before 
the  houses.  Payment  is  totally  out  of  the  question  ; 
in  all  villages,  therefore,  exposed  to  the  marches  of 
the  Egyptians,  very  little  poultry  or  other  animals 


HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS.  95 

subservient  as  articles  of  food  are  to  be  met  with ; 
for  the  inhabitants  keep  their  stock  and  provisions 
concealed.  But  no  sooner  do  they  hear  that  the 
traveller  is  a  Frank,  than  they  bring  him  everything 
he  asks  for ;  their  demands  are  very  moderate,  and 
they  frequently  will  not  accept  anything  in  return. 
They  are  also  very  attentive  in  procuring  everything 
he  may  require  for  his  journey  onwards;  whereas 
the  Turks  frequently  have,  in  this  respect,  to  suffer 
a  deficiency  of  many  things.  The  natives  of  Kordo- 
fan  are  altogether  the  best  tempered  people  in  the 
world,  if  they  are  but  treated  with  common  civility, 
and  differ  widely  from  their  neighbours  in  Sen- 
naar,  who  although  under  the  same  government, 
situate  under  the  same  degree  of  latitude,  and  for 
the  most  part  of  the  same  race,  are  of  totally  diffe- 
rent disposition. 

The  villages,  more  especially  lying  on  the  borders 
of  the  country,  form  an  exception  to  the  former  rule, 
and  are  not  in  the  best  odour  with  the  natives 
themselves.  The  traveller  should,  more  particularly, 
be  on  his  guard  at  Haraza,  on  the  road  to  Dongola; 
Ledet,  on  the  road  to  Khartoom ;  and  Caccia  on 
the  road  to  Darfour ;  the  last  mentioned  village 
is  of  all  the  most  formidable.  In  travelling  through 
Haraza,  I  myself  took  an  active  part  in  a  scene 
which  in io lit  have  proved  of  very  evil  consequent 
if  my  M-naiit  had  not  been  able  to  intimidate  the 
sou  of  the  sheikh  with  an  excusable  falsehood.  At 
this  place  it  is  necessary  to  take  iu  a  supply  of 


96  HABITS  AND   CUSTOMS. 

fresh  water,  because  none  is  to  be  met  with  until 
beyond  Ketshmar,  situate  at  a  distance  of  two  short 
days'  journey  from  the  former  village.  Persons  also 
travelling  to  Dongola  must  furnish  themselves  with 
water,  sufficient  to  last  them  to  the  rocky  caverns 
in  Semmeria,  in  this  village.  The  sheikh,  who 
considers  himself  the  proprietor  of  all  the  wells, 
will  not  allow  water  to  be  drawn,  except  he  be  paid 
for  it ;  and  the  Djelabi  are  forced  to  give  him  from 
one  to  five  dollars  for  the  permission  of  filling  their 
water-bags.  When  I  wanted  water,  he  demanded 
six  dollars  of  me,  thinking  a  Frank  ought,  of  course, 
to  pay  more.  He  was  not  prepared  for  any  contra- 
diction, because  he  saw  me  travelling  alone  with 
my  servant ;  I,  however,  was  acquainted  with  these 
arbitrary  demands,  and  had  been,  moreover,  cau- 
tioned by  others  not  to  submit  to  his  extortions,  as 
he  has  no  right  to  sell  the  water  for  his  own  bene- 
fit, which  is  the  property  of  the  government.  I, 
consequently,  refused  to  pay  the  sum  he  demanded 
with  decision;  and  after  much  talking  on  the  one 
side  and  the  other,  he  at  last  ordered  water  to  be 
given  me  from  a  well,  which  was  so  putrid  that 
the  camels  even  would  not  drink  it.  When  my 
servant  mentioned  this  circumstance  to  me,  I  or- 
dered him  to  pour  the  water  immediately  away,  and 
demanded  good  drinkable  water  of  the  sheikh,  as 
I  knew  that  there  were  pure  wells  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood ;  he,  however,  would  not  draw  me  any 
more,  not  even  of  the  bad  water.  I  was  so  irritated 


HABITS  AND   CUSTOMS.  97 

at  the  audacious  conduct  of  this  man,  that  I  drew 
my  pistol  from  my  belt,  and,  pointing  it  at  his 
breast,  threatened  to  shoot  him  if  he  did  not  imme- 
diately give  orders  to  his  people  to  furnish  me  with 
the  quantity  of  water  necessary  for  my  journey  from 
the  good  wells.  My  servant  begged  of  me  not  to 
shoot ;  took  the  sheikh's  son  aside,  and  whispered 
to  him,  that  I  was  not  to  be  trusted,  as  I  had, 
twelve  days  before,  shot  a  sheikh  in  Dongola  for  a 
similar  resistance,  and  that  I  had  a  perfect  right,  as 
Frank,  to  slay  any  man  who  opposed  himself  to  my 
lawful  demands.  This  ruse  had  the  desired  effect ; 
and  the  man,  who  had  been  before  so  obstinate, 
now  humbly  begged  my  pardon,  entreated  me  to  go 
into  his  own  residence,  where  the  good  water  I 
required  should  be  sent  in  a  very  short  time.  This 
was  really  done ;  and,  in  addition  to  the  supply 
required,  he  presented  me  with  a  fat  sheep  for  my 
journey,  would  not  receive  any  payment,  and  shewed 
himself  altogether  very  desirous  of  gratifying  every 
wisli  1  might  express. 

This  sheikh  possesses  several  very  excellent 
horses,  broken  for  hunting  the  giraffe,  and  almost 
all  those  beautiful  animals  sent  to  Europe  and 
America  are  caught  by  him.  At  the  time  I  speak 
of,  he  had  twenty-four  sons  and  daughters  living. 

Before  undertaking  a  journey  into  Kordotan,  it  is 
r-M'iilml  to  understand  properly  the  characters  of 
the  various  nations  inhabiting  this  count rv,  to 
Mudy  their  dispositions  well,  and  treat  them  accord- 

n 


98  HABITS  AND  CUSTOMS. 

ingly ;  for  that  which  is  to  be  effected  with  the  one 
by  rigour  and  intimidation,  can  only  be  obtained 
from  the  other  by  friendly  and  conciliating  treat- 
ment. In  the  contrary  case,  the  worst  must  be 
feared.  The  negroes,  especially,  should  be  treated 
with  lenity  and  kindness ;  whereas,  with  the  Arabs 
and  Dongolavi,  severity  and  intimidation  are  neces- 
sary. In  my  travels,  during  nineteen  months  in  the 
various  countries,  I  had  to  suffer  more  (consequently 
had  more  experience)  than  those  travellers  who 
hurried  through  the  country,  accompanied  by  a 
military  escort,  a  number  of  Ghawa'zee,*  servants, 
and  others,  whereas  I  had  but  one  single  servant, 
and,  during  the  latter  part  of  my  travels,  was  not 
even  attended  by  him.  I  was  often  forced  to  suffer 
the  greatest  torments  of  hunger  and  thirst,  and  was, 
for  a  short  time,  obliged  to  rest  contented  with 
locusts  and  putrid  camels'  flesh, — bread  was  quite 
out  of  the  question;  I  even  held  out  once  for 
thirty-six  hours  without  water.  As  far  as  my  eye 
could  reach,  I  saw  nothing  but  sand  and  sky, — not  a 
worm  even  enlivened  the  dismal  scene ;  the  skeletons 
of  men  and  camels  lay  strewn  about  the  plains,  as 
fitting  monuments  of  the  surrounding  misery ;  a  hot 
wind  raised  the  burning  sand,  so  as  to  darken  the 
sun,  and  I  expected  with  every  step  to  find  my  grave. 
One  of  our  camel-drivers  sank  under  the  fatigue ; 
and  the  sand  of  the  desert  which  rode  upon  the 
winds  soon  covered  his  bones.  On  my  flight  from 
*  Public  dancing  girls. — TR. 


ii.vr.rrs  AND  CUSTOMS.  99 

Kordolaii  to  Seminar,  sleep,  during  which  so  many 
cares  a n<l  troubles  are  forgotten,  frequently  failed 
me  ;  and  what  did  I  not  suffer  on  my  return  home 
through  the  frightful  desert,  from  Abouhamed  to 
Krusko,  on  the  Nile  !  I  had  not  the  means  to  pur- 
chase a  second  camel.  My  solitary  beast  was  laden 
with  my  luggage  and  water-bags;  it  was,  indeed, 
overloaded,  I  could  not,  therefore,  mount  it,  and  I  was 
thus  under  the  painful  necessity  of  following  the 
caravan,  during  two  tedious  days  on 'foot,  enduring 
a  march  of  twenty-one  hours  daily  on  the  sand, 
under  a  scorching  sun.  Man  overcomes  many  diffi- 
culties, and  will  bear  more  than  is  generally  be- 
lieved. In  eight  days  I  reached  Krusko,  where  I 
met  Mr.  Kotschy,  the  naturalist ;  he  alone  can  tell 
how  worn  out  I  was  with  fatigue,  hunger,  and 
thirst,  when  I  arrived  at  his  tent,  where  he  enter- 
tained me  during  three  days,  for  he  had  just  arrived 
from  Grand  Cairo.*  I  may,  therefore,  say  that  I 
have  been  put  to  many  trials,  endured  innumerable 
hardships,  and  had  many  hair-breadth  escapes  with 
my  life.  It  is  not  very  probable  that  a  traveller, 
furnished  with  a  passport,  would  now  meet  with  any 
misadventure  in  the  interior  of  the  country,  for  the 

*  It  is,  of  course,  understood,  that  travellers  from  Cairo  are  fur- 
nished with  provisions  of  all  kinds,  whereas  those  returning  from 
the  Belled-Soodan  are  merely  provided  with  red  lentils.  A  sin- 
gular fate  has  brought  us  five  times  unexpectedly  together,  within 
the  space  of  five  years,  in  three  different  quarters  of  the  globe ;  the 
last  time  we  met  in  a  miserable  village,  in  the  Isle  of  Cyprus, 
towards  the  end  of  last  year. 

H2 


100  HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS. 

government  is  very  strict ;  on  the  borders,  on  the 
other  hand,  especially  towards  Darfour  and  Takale, 
he  may  dread  the  worst ;  for  who  would  make  en- 
quiries after  a  single  stranger,  if  he  were  robbed 
and  murdered  by  these  nomadic  tribes  ?  should  he 
even  be  missed,  it  would  be  a  very  extraordinary  thing 
if  any  one  could  come  upon  the  track  of  a  single 
individual ;  for  no  one  native  would  ever  betray  the 
other.     It  is,  therefore,  very  essential  to  study  well 
the  character  of  these  people,  and  to  avoid  coming 
into  collision  with  them.     I  will  mention  a  single 
instance  in  illustration,  which  happened  on  the  bor- 
ders of  the  Shilluk's  country,  on  the  White  Nile, 
and   nearly    cost    me    and   my   servant    our   lives. 
With  my  knowledge  of  the  character  of  the  people, 
and  by  humouring  them,  and  thus  gaining  on  their 
weak  points,  I  was  alone  able  to  help  myself  out  of 
this  embarrassment.     I  pitched  my  tent,  namely,  on 
the  shore  of  the  Nile,  and  sent  my  servant  out  in 
search  of  the  wood  requisite  for  our  consumption 
during  the  night ;  for  it  is  necessary  in  these  re- 
gions, when  encamped  in  the  open  air  on  the  banks 
of  the  river,  to  keep  up  a  fire  all  night  long,  partly 
on  account  of  the  crocodiles,  which  swarm  in  these 
localities  and  are  very  dangerous,  partly  on  account 
of  the  hippopotami ;  for,  although  the  latter  never 
do  any  injury,  yet  they  are  by  no  means  an  agree- 
able   acquaintance.      Lions,    moreover,    and    other 
beasts  of  prey,  might  pay  a  very  disagreeable  visit 
in  the  dark,  and   they  are  only  to  be  kept  at  a 


HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS.  101 

respectful  distance  by  maintaining  a  fire  throughout 
the  night.  Just  as  my  servant  was  about  to  sally 
forth  in  quest  of  fuel,  a  boat,  laden  with  wood,  and 
rowed  by  a  negro,  crossed  the  river,  and  landed 
near  my  tent.  My  servant  immediately  walked  up 
to  the  negro,  and  demanded  a  quantity  of  wood,  as 
he  could  find  none  in  the  neighbourhood.  The 
good-tempered  black  instantly  gave  him  the  half  of 
his  store ;  but,  as  soon  as  I  had  turned  my  back, 
my  avaricious  servant  asked  for  more,  which  the 
negro  flatly  refused ;  the  former,  hereupon,  became 
abusive,  and  his  opponent  by  no  means  remained 
mute,  until  from  words  they  fell  to  blows,  and, 
finally,  began  to  fight  in  real  earnest.  The  negro, 
who  was  the  better  man  of  the  two,  gave  my  ser- 
vant a  sound  beating,  and  did  not  cease,  until  he 
roared  out  most  lustily  for  mercy.  I  observed  the 
scuffle  from  the  distance ;  but,  unacquainted  with 
what  had  transpired,  and  merely  seeing  that  my  ser- 
vant was  getting  the  worst  of  the  affray,  I  took  my 
double-barrelled  gun,  presented  it  at  the  negro,  and 
commanded  him  to  desist.  He  instantly  sprang  on 
his  feet,  seized  his  spear,  and  threw  it  at  me,  before 
I  was  even  aware  of  his  intention  ;  the  missile,  for- 
tunately, only  grazed  my  wide  papooshes.  He  was 
now  disarmed,  and  I  again  presented  at  him.  The 
negro  remained  perfectly  cool,  and  merely  said: 
M  Shoot  on  !  I  die  ;  and  what  of  that !"  I  now  saw  that 
not li ing  was  to  be  effected  by  intimidation,  laid  my 
gun  aside',  and,  walking  up  to  him,  enquired  into  all 


102  HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS. 

the  circumstances  of  the  case,  which  he  faithfully 
related.  Convinced  of  the  injustice  of  my  servant, 
I  endeavoured  to  pacify  the  negro,  and  assured  him 
that  I  would  punish  the  former.  All  my  persua- 
sion was,  however,  in  vain ;  he  foamed  with  rage, 
and  replied,  that  we  should  both  suffer  for  this  act. 
Seeing  that  he  was  too  weak  to  offer  battle  to  us 
both,  he  ran  away  in  an  instant,  loudly  uttering  his 
war-cry  of  "  Lu,  lu,  lu  !"*  This  was  an  ill  omen  for 
us,  and  put  us  both  in  no  slight  degree  of  fear. 
Flight  was  out  of  the  question,  we  had  no  chance  of 
thus  escaping.  I,  therefore,  set  my  wits  to  work  to 
devise  a  remedy,  to  avert  at  least  the  first  outbreak 
of  our  enemies  rage.  I  bound  my  servant  hand 
and  foot  with  a  cord,  and  taking  up  the  branch  of  a 
tree  which  lay  near  me  pretended  to  beat  him 
most  unmercifully ;  he  played  his  part  remarkably 
well,  and  screamed  as  if  he  were  being  impaled, 
whenever  I  made  the  slightest  movement  with  my 
hand ;  for  we  already  descried  a  crowd  of  natives  at 
the  distance,  running  towards  us,  their  lances  glit- 
tering in  the  evening  sun,  and  the  shouts  of  the 
women,  who  followed  in  the  wake  of  the  men, 
boded  us  no  good ;  but  the  nearer  they  approached 
the  better  we  played  our  parts ;  and  my  servant 
continued  his  screams  until  he  was  fairly  out  of 

*  Lu,  lu,  lu  !  This  cry  has  a  triple  signification.  It  expresses 
joy,  grief,  and  danger,  and  serves  also  as  an  encouragement  in 
battle.  The  intonation  of  these  sounds  determines  the  difference  of 
their  import.  It  may  be  readily  recognised  when  it  has  been  fre- 
quently heard,  but  cannot  be  described. 


HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS.  103 

breath.     Those  of  our  enemies,  who  were  nearest, 
called  out  to  me  to  desist ;  and  when  I  obeyed,  my 
servant  rolled  himself  about  in  the  sand  like  a  mad- 
man.    The  negro  who  had  been  the  cause  of  the 
whole  scene  now  walked  up  to  me,  took  my  hand, 
and  said,  "Have  no  fear,   you  shall  not  be  hurt, 
because   you  have   acknowledged  the   injury  your 
servant  has  done  me,  and  have  punished  him  for  it." 
An  old  man  now  untied  the  cord  which  bound  the 
hands  and  feet  of  the  culprit,  and  approached  me, 
to  be  informed  of  the  whole  affair.     They  proved  to 
be   Bakkara.*      I   invited   the    old   man   and   the 
negro,  of  whom  I  have  before  spoken  into  my  tent, 
where  I   entertained   them  with  coffee,  and   gave 
them   my  pipe   to   smoke.     Harmony  was   imme- 
diately restored,  and  every  one  conciliated.     They 
asked  me  whence  I  came,  and  where  I  was  travel- 
ling to,  and  then  the  conversation  turned  on  other 
topics.     When  the  night  closed  in,  they  all  gradu- 
ally retired,  with  the  exception  of  five  men,  who 
remained  with  me  all  night  as  a  guard,  emptied 
several  pots  of  merissa  together,  and  kept  up  the 
fire,  thus  consuming  the  whole  of  the  wood  which 
had  been  the  belli  teterrima  causa.     When  they  took 
their  leave  of  me  in  the  morning,  they  presented 
me  with  a  young  gazelle,  as  provision  for  my  fur- 
ther journey. 

I  cannot  sufficiently  praise  the  kind,  and  even  cor- 

*  Bakkara  are   a  race  of  Arabs  who  occupy  themselves  with 
breeding  cattle. 


104  HABITS  AND  CUSTOMS. 

dial  behaviour  of  the  natives  of  Kordofan.  I  re- 
ceived many  proofs  of  kindness  at  their  hands,  and 
I  could  not  have  expected  better  treatment  in  my 
own  country  from  my  nearest  relations.  This  was 
especially  the  case  when  I  had  the  misfortune  to 
fall  sick  in  the  desert,  where  I  lay  helpless  on  the 
sands,  as  I  was  too  weak  to  keep  my  seat  on  my 
camel.  In  this  state  of  exhaustion  I  was  obliged  to 
remain,  until  I  could  receive  assistance  from  the 
neighbouring  village,  which  was,  fortunately,  only 
half  an  hour's  march  distant  from  the  spot.  A 
good-natured  inhabitant  carried  me  home,  and  I 
passed  thirty  days  in  his  hut,  stretched  upon  a  bed 
of  sickness.  I  cannot  describe  the  interest  these 
kind  people  appeared  to  take  in  my  sufferings ;  the 
one  vied  with  the  other  to  be  of  service  to  me. 
Some  women  and  girls  sat  alternately  by  the  side 
of  my  bed,  by  day  and  night,  the  one  keeping  off 
the  flies,  the  other  cooling  me  with  a  fan  of  ostrich 
feathers,  for  the  heat  was  frequently  at  40°  Reaumur 
(122°  Fahrenheit)  in  my  hut,  as  there  was  no  cur- 
rent of  air  through  it.  A  young  and  beautiful, 
slave,  Agami  was  her  name,  evinced  so  much  sym- 
pathy, that  she  frequently  shed  tears  when  she  ob- 
served my  sufferings.  All  the  medicines  with  which 
I  had  taken  the  precaution  to  provide  myself,  proved 
ineffective ;  I  lay  in  a  continued  fever,  and  was 
already,  on  the  fifth  day,  so  weak  that  I  could  not 
move,  and  the  good  women  were  obliged  to  lift  me 
on  and  off  the  bed ;  for  my  own  part,  I  had  quite 


HABITS  AND   CUSTOMS.  105 

made  up  my  mind  that  my  days  were  drawing  to  a 
close. 

When  no  amelioration  was  observed  to  take 
place,  they  bound  amulets  round  my  arms,  and 
placed  charms  beneath  my  head,  endeavouring  in 
this  way  to  overcome  the  disease.  I  submitted  to  all 
these  proceedings  in  order  not  to  avoid  hurting  the 
feelings  of  the  good  people ;  but  as  my  illness  still 
continued  to  rage,  they  sent  for  a  celebrated  fortune- 
teller from  a  neighbouring  village,  who  casting  her 
shells  upon  the  sand,  prophesied  that  the  Frank 
would  not  yet  die.  As  soon  as  the  prophetess  had 
taken  her  departure,  the  women  lifted  me  out  of 
bed,  seated  me  down  on  a  bundle  of  straw,  with  my 
back  to  the  door,  took  off  my  shirt,  and  as  I  was  too 
weak  to  sit  in  an  upright  position,  held  me  up  by 
passing  their  arms  under  my  axillae.  I  suddenly 
felt  a  shock  through  my  whole  frame,  which  de- 
prived me  of  breath  for  a  few  moments,  for  they  had 
poured  a  whole  basket  full  of  cold  spring  water  over 
my  feverish  body.  Hundreds  of  others  would  have 
instantly  expired,  but  my  sound  constitution  enabled 
me  to  survive  this  douche.  I  was  immediately 
dried,  returned  to  bed,  and  covered  with  empty  sacks 
and  sheep-skins.  I  felt  somewhat  relieved  and  fell 
asleep  ;  a  refreshment  I  had  not  enjoyed  for  a  long 
time.  On  waking,  the  women  told  me  that  I  had 
perspired  but  very  slightly,  and  that  the  douche 
must  !>r  repeated  to  put  me  into  a  thorough  sweat. 
I  allowed  this  hazardous  proceeding  to  be  repeated 


106  HABITS   AND   CUSTOMS. 

because  I  had  no  other  choice.  The  operation  was 
performed  in  the  same  manner  as  on  the  former 
occasion,  but  it  did  not  produce  so  violent  a  shock, 
because  I  was  prepared  for  it.  After  this  bath  I 
perspired  so  freely  that,  on  waking,  I  believed  my- 
self to  be  in  a  second  bath.  This  proceeding,  how- 
ever, broke  through  the  chain  of  morbid  symptoms, 
and  I  felt  so  much  relieved,  that  I  was  able  to  rise 
from  my  bed,  and  walk  about  for  a  short  time  in  the 
shade  of  the  palm-trees.  As  soon  as  the  rumour 
spread  in  the  village  that  I  was  recovering,  the 
inhabitants  all  flocked  around  to  greet  me,  and  to  con- 
gratulate me  on  my  convalescence.  A  fire  was  lighted 
before  my  hut  at  night,  round  which  the  people 
danced  to  evince  their  delight  at  my  recovery ;  I 
regaled  them  with  merissa,  and  all  were  happy  and 
merry.  My  convalescence  proceeded  now  very 
rapidly,  and  I  was  in  a  short  time  able  to  resume 
my  journey;  but  I  shall  never  forget  the  debt  of 
gratitude  I  owe  to  these  good  people,  who,  from 
pure  and  disinterested  charity  and  feeling  for  the 
sufferings  of  a  fellow  creature,  took  so  much  care  of 
me  whilst  in  this  lamentable  condition. 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  PEOPLE.       K>7 


CHAPTER  V. 

CHARACTER   OP    THE    PEOPLE. 

THERE  exists,  perhaps,  no  country  in  which  the 
inhabitants  are  so  various,  and  diametrically  opposed 
to  each  other  in  character  as  in  Kordofan ;  for,  after 
half  a  day's  journey  from  one  district  to  the  other, 
the  traveller  is  almost  tempted  to  believe  that  he  has 
arrived  in  a  different  country,  subject  to  quite  a 
different  government,  and  professing  a  different 
religion.  A  shade  of  variation  in  the  race  of  the 
people  quite  alters  their  characters.  There  are, 
properly  speaking,  three  distinct  races  of  men 
abruptly  differing  from  each  other  in  the  province : 
namely  the  negroes,  properly  so  called,  or  Aborigines ; 
then  the  Arabs  or  free  people,  to  which  class  the 
Bakkara  belong ;  and,  lastly,  those  who  have  emigrat- 
ed from  Dongola.  The  negroes  who,  witli  the 
exception  of  many  slaves,  profess  the  faith  of  Islam, 
are  to  be  met  with  distributed  over  all  the  five  dis- 
tricts, and  occupy  themselves  chiefly  with  agricul- 
ture. Their  wants  are,  therefore,  fewer  than  those 
of  the  trading  population,  who  on  their  travels  have 
become  acquainted  with  many  comfort*,  which  have 


108  CHARACTER   OF  THE   PEOPLE. 

become  additional  necessaries  imperative  to  them. 
These  negroes,  the  greater  part  of  which  are  Noubas, 
are  of  very  amiable  disposition,  extremely  hospitable, 
exceedingly  fond  of  their  children,  and  possess 
the  most  honourable  feelings.  In  their  dealings 
they  are  particularly  upright,  and  there  is  no  fear 
of  being  overreached  in  transacting  business  with 
them ;  I  will  even  go  so  far  as  to  say  there  is  less  to 
be  feared  in  their  dwellings  than  in  many  European 
towns  which  appear  far  more  safe.  They  are  sincere 
friends,  and  assist  each  other  in  all  difficulties;  are 
endowed  with  a  strong  attachment  to  their  native 
country;  and  only  the  most  tyrannical  oppression, 
such  as  existed  under  the  government  of  the  Def- 
turdar,  could  force  a  few  villages  to  leave  their 
native  land.  When  they  are,  however,  enraged, 
they  utterly  disregard  life  for  the  opportunity  of 
revenging  themselves.  Anger,  however,  is  of  ex- 
ceedingly rare  occurrence  with  their  good  tempers ; 
and  when  a  negro  is  observed  to  be  carried  away 
by  passion,  a  few  kind  words  are  only  required  to 
pacify  him;  but  harshness  must  by  no  means  be 
resorted  to.  It  is,  in  fact,  necessary  to  treat  them 
like  children ;  for  their  mental  faculties  are  very 
limited,  and  they  may,  indeed,  be  said  to  be  on  the 
lowest  scale.  There  is,  moreover,  not  the  slightest 
probability  of  their  ever  making  any  progress  in  the 
cultivation  of  their  minds,  for  they  manage  every- 
thing at  the  present  day  as  it  was  done  a  hundred 
years  ago.  Their  dwellings  and  domestic  utensils, 


CHARACTER   OF  THE   PEOPLE.  109 

in  short  everything  is  the  same  as  it  was  in  the 
time  of  their  forefathers.  By  the  manner  in  which 
they  perform  their  work,  it  is  easy  to  perceive  that 
they  follow  the  plan  adopted  in  former  centuries, 
and  the  idea  never  enters  their  heads  of  improving 
upon  any  object,  or  of  making  a  new  invention. 
This  apathy  to  all  progressive  improvement  is  the 
more  astonishing,  as  these  negroes  are  for  the  greater 
part  agriculturists,  and  have  fixed  places  of  residence, 
and  consequently  enjoy  the  opportunity  of  gradually 
perfecting  themselves,  as  many  other  nations  have 
done  before  them,  who  formerly  stood  at  the  same 
low  degree  of  civilization.  Amongst  these  people, 
however,  civilization  is  in  a  state  of  permanent  stag- 
nation. A  few  individuals  may  indeed  be  met  with 
who  can  read  and  write  a  little,  but  that  is  not 
worth  mentioning,  and  thus  everything  is  enveloped 
in  the  densest  obscurity.  The  climate  contributes 
in  no  small  degree  to  this  obtuseness  of  mind,  and 
it  is  a  well-proved  fact,  that  Europeans  who  have 
passed  several  years  in  these  parts  suffer  a  diminu- 
tion in  their  capacity  of  mind,  and  in  time  forget  a 
great  part  of  their  former  acquirements.  Apathy 
and  phlegma  are  congenital  with  the  negroes :  it  is, 
therefore,  not  probable  that  they  will  ever  rise  in 
the  scale  of  civilization.  The  west  of  Africa  may, 
perhaps,  form  an  exception  to  this  rule. 

These  people  are  very  candid  and  confiding,  when 
they  are  acquainted  with  a  person;  they  then 
seldom  or  never  make  a  >ecret  of  their  actions, — 


110  CHARACTER   OF  THE   PEOPLE. 

never,  indeed,  unless  they  believe  their  personal  or 
the  public  interest  to  be  endangered  by  the  commu- 
nication. The  people  of  a  similar  race  in  the  neigh- 
bouring countries  are  of  the  same  character:  an 
observation,  the  slaves  brought  from  these  parts 
afford  ample  opportunity  of  making.  These  slaves 
are  for  the  most  part  heathens,  and  this  is  the  chief 
reason  why  they,  and  the  tribes  allied  to  them,  are 
rather  harshly  treated.  If,  in  the  course  of  time, 
they  adopt  the  faith  of  Islam,  they  are  at  least 
treated  more  like  one  of  the  family,  although  not 
liberated.  The  fate  of  these  unfortunate  beings  is, 
on  the  whole,  dreadful ;  for  deprived  of  the  greatest 
blessing,  their  liberty,  they  are  forced  to  perform 
hard  labour,  and  indeed  in  fetters,  in  which  they 
are  bound  to  prevent  them  from  running  away  to 
their  native  hills,  frequently  in  sight  of  their  place 
of  captivity.  These  fetters,  unlike  the  irons  with 
which  convicts  are  laden  in  Europe,  consist  of 
rings  round  both  ankles,  kept  asunder  by  an  iron 
bar,  attached  to  the  rings  round  the  ankles  by 
two  smaller  rings.  Thus  the  slave  can  make  but 
one  pace  at  a  time,  and  never  approximate  his 
two  feet.  The  large  rings  open  on  one  side 
sufficiently  to  admit  the  ankle,  and  in  adjusting 
them  they  are  welded  together  with  a  large  stone, 
in  lieu  of  a  hammer.  The  slave,  on  these  occasions, 
is  laid  upon  the  ground,  and  a  stone  is  pushed  under 
his  foot  to  serve  the  purpose  of  an  anvil.  Every 
precaution  is,  indeed,  taken  in  putting  on  the  irons, 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  PEOPLE.       Ill 

but  the  unfortunate  being  feels  severe  pain  with  every 
blow.  Some  few  fetters  may  be  met  with  furnished 
with  locks,  which,  however,  are  very  rare  luxuries. 
To  prevent  the  rings  from  excoriating  the  ankles, 
rags  are  interposed  between  the  iron  and  the  skin. 
If  the  operation  of  putting  on  the  irons  be  attended 
with  pain,  the  slaves  suffer  infinitely  more  when  they 
are  taken  off.  On  the  latter  occasion  one  side  of 
the  ring  is  firmly  attached  to  a  tree,  the  slave  lays 
himself  down  on  his  back,  and  about  eight  people 
pull  in  the  direction  opposite  to  the  tree,  at  a  cord 
attached  to  the  ring,  until  it  is  sufficiently  opened  to 
allow  the  ankle  to  be  disengaged.  A  quarter  of  an 
hour  is  sometimes  spent  in  efforts  to  remove  the 
trammels. 

The  negroes  are,  generally,  at  the  commencement 
of  their  slavery,  morose,  and  speak  very  little,  un- 
less spoken  to.  Their  thoughts  are  continually  di- 
rected to  their  homes,  or  at  work  inventing  all 
manner  of  means  of  escape,  for  the  prevention  of 
which  they  are  bound  in  irons.  They  are  all  power- 
ful men,  and  are  put  to  agricultural  labour,  very 
few  of  this  race  being  sent  to  Egypt.  Many  of 
them  are  aware  that  urine  will,  in  time,  corrode 
iron,  and  this  knowledge  enables  them,  occasionally, 
to  succeed  in  gradually  ridding  themselves  of  their 
fetters,  when  they,  of  course,  immediately  decamp. 
A  negro  who  had  liberated  himself  in  tins  manner 
told  me  lie  had  resorted  to  this  process  himself. 
His  flight,  however,  unfortunately  tailed,  for  he 


112  CHARACTER   OF   THE   PEOPLE. 

was  soon  caught  and  brought  back  again.     Four- 
teen whole   months  were    required   to    soften   the 
iron,  before  he  could  complete  his  work  of  break- 
ing  it   through    with    a   stone.      There    are   many 
slaves  who   do  not  wear  irons,  especially  such  as 
have  lived  many  years  with  one  master,  who  has 
become  thoroughly  acquainted  with  their  character ; 
but    even   these   men    are    frequently,   after   many 
years,  attacked  with  nostalgia,  and    then   take    to 
flight.      During   my   residence    in    the    country,    a 
slave,  who  had  lived  seven  years  in  one  house,  where 
he  had  walked  about  unfettered,  suddenly  ran  away, 
without  any  appreciable   cause.      Another  captive, 
who  wore  irons,  volunteered  to  bring  the  deserter 
back,  if  his  master  would  allow  him,  henceforth,  to 
lay  aside  his  fetters,  assuring  him,  at  the  same  time, 
that  he  would  remain  his  slave  for  life,  and  did  not 
wish    for   liberty.      The    master   was,  certainly,  at 
first,  rather  undecided,  but  ultimately  ventured  to 
allow  him   to    sally  forth   on   this  expedition,   and 
furnished  him,   moreover,   with   a  camel.     He    re- 
turned, in  a  short  time,  bringing  the  fugitive  back 
with   him.     The    master   kept   his  word,  took  the 
fetters  off,  and  bought  him  a  female  slave  as  a  wife, 
whereas  the  deserter  was  put  in  chains, — probably 
for  life.     The  girls  walk  about  at  liberty,  because 
there  is  not  so   much  fear  of  their  running  away. 
They  would  soon  be  brought  back,  are,  moreover, 
very  timid,  and  would  be  readily  recognised  in  the 
next  village ;  but  they  sometimes  also  effect  their 


CHARACTER   OF   THE    PEOPLE.  I  1 U 

escape,  as  I  had  myself  once  the  opportunity  of  ob- 
serving. 

A   slave  merchant  at   Lobeid    kept   eight  girls, 
destined   for  Grand  Cairo,  together  in  one   IIOUM», 
and    locked    them   up    carefully  in    a    room   with- 
out  windows ;  to  be  yet  more  secure,  he  placed  his 
an^areb  at  night  before  the  door  and  slept  there. 
How  great  was  his  astonishment,  however,  in  the 
morning,  to  find  that  all  the  girls  had  disappeared 
out  of  the  room  !     He  ran  about,  as  if  mad,  to  all 
liis  neighbours,  begging  them  to  assist  him  in  his 
search  ;  but  all  endeavours  to  find  the  fugitives  were 
in  vain,  and  the  man  firmly  believed  the  Shitan* 
had  spirited  them  away.     In  making  a  closer  inves- 
tigation of  the  wall  of  the  room,  however,  a  light  was 
soon  thrown  upon  the  subject,  for  an  immense  hole 
was  found  through  which  the  girls  had  crept  and 
covered  it  carefully  with  a  straw  mat.     It  appeared 
that  they  had  thrown  water  against  the  wall  of  clay, 
a   few  days  before  they  had   effected  their  escape, 
and   were  thus  enabled  to  make  the  breach   with 
facility,    for   these   houses    melt    like    sugar   when 
water  is    poured  upon  them.      Not    one    of  these 
girls  ever  again  made  her  appearance. 

The  natives  of  Kordofan  treat  their  slaves  with 
much  humanity  ;  the  Turks,  on  the  other  hand,  (and 
I  am  sorry  to  say,  within  the  last  few  years,  two 
Kuropeaiis  also,)  are  guilty  of  the  greatest  cruelty, 
and  are  not  deterred  by  qualms  of  conscience  from 

*  Evil  Spirit TB. 


114  CHARACTER   OF  THE   PEOPLE. 

staining  their  hands  with  the  blood  of  these  unfor- 
tunate beings.  Thus,  an  Italian  doctor  bound  a 
rope  round  the  neck  of  his  slave  and  strangled  him 
with  his  own  hands ;  another  medical  man,  a  rene- 
gade, castrated  his  slave  with  his  own  razor,  for 
some  trifling  offence  he  had  been  guilty  of.  The 
man  died  of  the  effects  of  the  operation.  Mo- 
hammed Bey  also,  the  governor  of  Kordofan,  whom 
Mehemed  Ali  deposed  towards  the  close  of  the  year 
1838,  and  not  without  good  cause,  treated  his  slaves 
most  barbarously,  as  the  following  fact  will  illus- 
trate. A  female  slave  belonging  to  his  haarem 
was  guilty  of  some  slight  offence,  which,  however, 
enraged  him  to  such  an  extent  that  he  ordered  her 
to  be  thrown  into  a  distant  well  and  drowned. 
One  of  the  servants,  happening  to  pass  the  well 
on  the  following  day,  found  the  girl  still  living, 
reported  the  circumstance  to  the  governor,  and 
asked  whether  he  should  liberate  her,  as  the  water 
only  reached  her  arms;  the  tyrant,  however,  felt 
no  pity  for  the  poor  wretch,  and  ordered  the  wrell 
to  be  filled  up  with  sand,  thus  burying  his  victim 
alive. 

The  Arabs,  or  free  people,  to  which  the  Bakkara 
and  other  nomadic  tribes  belong,  differ  totally  from 
the  aborigines  ;  they  breed  camels  and  other  cattle, 
and  engage  but  little  in  agricultural  pursuits.  The 
largest  tribes  of  Bakkara  are,  el  Giomme  Hababin 
under  Sheikh  Abdel  Machmud,  Elhawasma  under 
Sheikh  Moosa,  el  Messeria  under  Sheikh  Labaeid, 


CHARACTER   OF   THE    PEOPLE.  115 

el  Nassarie,  Ilababin,  el  Hommer,  etc.;  beside 
these,  the  Kubbabeesh  under  Sheikh  Sale  must  be 
mentioned.  These  Arabs,  as  they  call  themselves, 
are,  like  the  negroes,  black;  one  tribe  of  Bakkara, 
(Hababin,)  however,  is  copper-coloured,  although 
they  live  under  the  same  zone  and  lead  the  same 
kind  of  life.  I  very  much  doubt  the  tradition, 
that  all  these  tribes  wandered  out  of  Arabia  into 
Africa,  during  the  great  migration  of  nations  in 
the  seventh  century.  I  know  of  no  tribe  in  all 
Araby  of  black  colour,  and  the  climate  of  Africa 
could  not  have  made  them  as  dark  as  they  are 
at  present,  even  in  a  thousand  years.  If  this  dis- 
coloration be  the  effect  of  climate,  why  have  not 
the  red  Bakkara,  as  they  are  here  called,  become 
black  ?  for  the  copper-coloured  nations  more  readily 
change  to  black  than  those  of  white  complexion. 
Their  features,  moreover,  bear  no  resemblance  to 
those4  of  the  Arabs ;  they  are,  also,  unlike  the 
negroes;  they  have1  not  the  prominent  cheek-bones 
and  the  thick  everted  lips ;  their  hair  is  rather 
smooth  than  curling,  and  they  wear  a  number  of 
plaits.  This  race  is,  in  part,  of  pure  blood,  and 
yet  they  speak  very  bad  Arabic,  whereas  other 
Arab  tribes,  who  live  at  a  much  greater  distance 
from  the  parent  country,  as  several  tribes  of  Be- 
douins, have  preserved  the  native'  purity  of  their 
language.  It  is  far  more  probable,  then,  that  these 
Arabs  have  been  inhabitant*  of  Africa,  on  the  borders 
of  the  Red  Sea  and  in  the  neighbouring  deserts, 

i  2 


116  CHARACTER  OF  THE   PEOPLE. 

since  thousands  of  years,  and  that  the  red  Bakkara, 
as  they  are  termed,  formerly  inhabited  a  country 
under  the  tropics,  for  in  their  profiles,  and  in  the 
manner  in  which  they  wear  their  hair,  they  correspond 
exactly  with  those  figures  observed  on  monuments  in 
Upper  Egypt  and  Nubia.  In  disposition  they  differ 
entirely  from  the  negroes,  for  they  are  stupid,  proud, 
and  very  suspicious,  despise  every  one  who  is  not  of 
their  caste,  and  endeavour,  moreover,  to  overreach 
every  person  with  whom  they  may  have  dealings. 
The  traveller  cannot  be  too  well  on  his  guard  against 
them.  In  concluding  a  bargain  with  them  it  is 
necessary  that  some  one  be  present  who  does  not 
belong  to  their  tribe,  or  the  stranger  may  make  sure 
of  being  imposed  upon.  The  chastity  of  their  wives 
and  daughters  is  very  praiseworthy. 

The  Dongolavi,  a  race  of  people  distributed,  un- 
der different  denominations,  over  a  great  part  of 
Africa,  are  men  of  athletic  build,  on  whom  little 
fat  is  seen,  but  the  more  muscle  and  sinew.  They 
have  wrell  formed  features,  but  deeply  set  and  very 
sparkling  eyes ;  their  beards  are  weak,  and  they 
mostly  only  wear  a  moustache,  less  frequently  an 
additional  tuft  on  the  under  lip.  They  do  not  show 
age,  except  they  are  very  old  and  the  beard  has 
become  grey.  They  vary  in  colour  from  bronze  to 
jet  black  ;  this  difference  is  owing  to  the  circum- 
stance of  their  having  mixed  much  with  other  na- 
tions, and  intermarried.  Their  language  resembles 
that  of  the  Nuba  in  its  etymology.  The  Dongolavi 


CHARACTER  OF  THE   PEOPLE.  117 

are  the  most  opulent  inhabitants  of  Kordofan,  and 
nearly  the  whole  of  the  export  trade  by  caravan  is 
in  their  hands.  They,  also,  carry  on  the  less  impor- 
tant home  trade  with  the  negroes  in  the  hills,  with 
whom  they  barter  for  slaves,  ivory,  etc.  They 
have  immigrated  from  Dongola  into  Kordofan,  and 
are  to  be  met  with  in  other  negro  states,  where 
they  have  become  residents  chiefly  for  the  sake 
of  the  trade.  The  Dongolavi  have  frequently,  also, 
been  obliged  to  fly  and  settle  in  different  places,  on 
account  of  debt  or  other  offences ;  they  are  of  very 
cheerful  disposition,  but  shun  all  manner  of  work. 
The1}'  arc-  the  greatest  liars  on  the  face  of  the  earth, 
for  truth  never  proceeds  from  their  mouths;  they 
will,  indeed,  rather  allow  themselves  to  be  mur- 
dered than  speak  the  truth,  especially  if  their  in- 
terests be  concerned.  In  trading  with  them,  they 
should  never  be  trusted  with  cash,  which  would 
be  irrecoverably  lost,  for  they  will  part  with  their 
wives  and  children  rather  than  with  money.  They 
know  no  gratitude,  and  understand  merely  how 
to  flatter.  If  a  person  accept  anything  of  them, 
he  may  rest  assured  that  they  will  demand,  at  least, 
twice  as  much  as  it  is  worth,  on  the  following  day. 
Their  women  are  very  frivolous.  Servants  of  this 
tribe  should  be  carefully  avoided;  and  I  advise',  in- 
deed, every  Kuropeun  about  to  travel  in  Kordofan 
to  hire  hU  servant  at  Cairo. 


118  THE   BAKKARA. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE    BAKKARA.       (NOMADIC    TRIBES.) 

THERE  are  several  large  and  small  tribes  of  this 
nomadic  people  in  the  country  who  have  no  fixed 
places  of  residence,  but  change  them  frequently  in 
the  same  year.  They  inhabit  the  districts  situated 
towards  the  south,  south-east,  and  south-west  of 
Lobeid.  Each  tribe,  whether  large  or  small,  is 
governed  by  its  sheikh,  who  may  be  regarded 
almost  as  an  absolute  monarch ;  as  all  the  rest  of 
the  tribe,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  under- 
sheikhs,  are  totally  dependent  upon  him,  and  may, 
indeed,  be  considered  as  his  serfs.  They  pay  tri- 
bute to  Kordofan,  consisting  of  about  twelve  thou- 
sand oxen,  a  little  gold,  and  a  few  slaves ;  but  the 
contribution  must  generally  be  collected  by  force. 
They  are  not  reckoned  among  the  other  inhabitants 
of  the  five  districts ;  but  when  the  time  for  levying 
the  tribute  arrives,  they  are  hunted  out,  tribe  by 
tribe,  and — plundered.  They  do  not  cultivate  agri- 
culture, excepting  on  the  lake  of  Arrat,  where  a 
little  rice,  of  an  inferior  quality,  is  grown.  Their 
occupation  consists  otherwise  in  breeding  horned 


NOMADIC   TRIBES.  119 

cattle,  and,  besides  herds  of  kine,  they  possess  a  few 
horses  and  camels.  The  sheikhs  are  all  wealthy, 
and  carry  on  a  considerable  trade  in  cattle,  butter, 
and  slaves,  the  latter  of  which  they  steal  from  the 
bordering  countries.  They  are  a  very  warlike  and 
depredatory  race,  and  live  in  a  continual  state  of 
warfare,  not  only  with  their  neighbours,  but  even 
among  themselves  ;  for  if  two  Bakkara  tribes  meet, 
or  are  merely  encamped  near  each  other,  there  is 
sure  to  be  bloodshed ;  nor  does  the  conflict  ter- 
minate until  the  weaker  tribe  succumbs,  or  is 
driven  away.  With  the  commencement  of  the  hot 
season,  they  wander  into  distant  regions,  unknown 
to  the  governor  of  Kordofan,  into  which  he  dare 
not  venture  to  penetrate  to  levy  the  taxes,  as  this 
measure  would  be  attended  with  great  danger  to 
liis  troops.  It  is,  indeed,  impossible  for  the  govern- 
ment to  send  a  large  force,  as  it  would  meet  with 
many  obstacles,  and  a  small  detachment  would  not 
answer  the  purpose,  for  it  might  be  easily  inter- 
cepted, and  totally  cut  up.  Thus  this  people 
enjoy  exemption  from  all  contributions  during  the 
dry  season.  The  government,  however,  suffers  no 
loss  thereby,  for  it  knows  full  well  that  they  will, 
in  a  short  time,  be  forced  to  leave  the  safe  districts 
beyond  the  boundaries  of  Kordofan,  and  thus  return 
spontaneously  into  the  hands  of  their  oppressors. 
There  is,  perhaps  no  people  who  have  so  many  and 
such  dangerous  enemies.  All  the'  negro  trilu*-. 
without  exception,  persecute'  the  liakkara  from  one 


120  THE   BAKKARA. 

region  to  the  other,  oh  account  of  the  slaves  they 
have  kidnapped,  and  endeavour,  by  all  possible 
means,  to  revenge  themselves  on  them.  The  go- 
vernment does  all  in  its  power  to  torment  this  peo- 
ple in  the  most  piteous  manner ;  and,  lastly,  add  the 
quarrels  of  the  tribes  among  themselves.  Annoy- 
ances of  this  description  would  be  sufficient  in 
themselves  to  force  the  Bakkari  to  change  their 
residences  continually. 

But  their  greatest  plague  is  a  little  animal,  called 
Yohara* — a    fly    which    makes    its    appearance    in 
great  numbers,  in  many  regions  in  central  Africa, 
in   the   rainy  season,   and  proves   very   destructive. 
Its  bite  is  harmless  to  man,  but  the  more  dangerous 
to   cattle,  and  instances   are   on  record,   in  several 
regions,  of  whole  herds  having  been  destroyed  by 
these  vermin  in  a  very  short  time.    The  camels,  who 
cannot    defend    themselves    with    their   short   tails 
against  their  encroachments,  and  must,  therefore,  of 
course   perish,  suffer  chiefly.      In  Shilluk,  Shabun, 
Runga,  Kulla,  etc.,  no  camels  are,  consequently,  to 
be  met  with  ;  these  countries,  therefore,  can  only  be 
visited  in  the  dry  season.   The  Djelabi  are  frequently 
prevented  from  entering  on  their  march  home  from 
these  countries  betimes,  and  have,  on  these  occasions, 
lost  all  their  camels  by  the  sting  of  this  fly.     This 
insect  is  also  the  chief  cause  of  the  Bakkari  leaving 
these  parts  of  the  country,  which  are  otherwise  so 
safe  for  them,  and  so  advantageous  for  their  cattle; 
*  Johara. — TR. 


NOMADIC   TRIBES.  121 

it  forces  them,  in  fact,  to  deliver  themselves  into 
tlie  hands  of  the  Turks.  Their  habits  are  very  sim- 
ple, and  they  occupy  themselves  with  attending  to 
the  cattle,  and  occasionally  with  warlike  exercises. 

I  passed  some  time  among  one  of  the  Bakkara 
tribes,  on  the  lake  of  Arrat,  and  had  ample  time 
and  opportunity  for  making  myself  thoroughly  ac- 
quainted with  the  people,  and  their  habits  and  cus- 
toms, for  they  kept  nothing  secret  from  me,  and, 
as  they  knew  for  certain  that  I  was  no  Turk,  they 
received  me  with  extraordinary  hospitality.  I 
would,  however,  not  advise  an  European  to  entrust 
himself  to  their  care,  or  to  venture  too  near  to  their 
encampment,  without  having  previously  secured  the 
friendship  of  their  sheikhs  ;  for  his  life  would  be 
exposed  to  all  manner  of  dangers,  as  they  do  not 
even  know  the  word  European,  or  Frank,  as  we  are 
otherwise  termed,  but  look  upon  every  person  of 
white  colour  as  a  Turk,  consequently  as  their 
enemy.  But  their  acquaintance  being  ,once  made, 
the  traveller  may  be  certain  of  receiving  the  most 
unequivocal  proofs  of  hospitality,  and  may  place  the 
greatest  confidence  in  them.  Their  food  consists  of 
meat  alone,  and  milk  ;  of  the  latter  there  is  such  an 
abundance  among  them,  that  they  give  it  to  their 
horses  as  drink,  and  it  seems  to  agree  excellently 
with  them.  All  the  horses  I  saw,  whilst  sojourning 
among  them,  were  of  very  superior  breed.  The 
Bakkari  eat  very  little  bread,  which  is  reckoned  a 
luxury,  and  merely  enjoyed  by  their  sheikhs.  Their 


122  THE  BAKKARA. 

dwellings  consist  of  tents  covered  with  ox  hides. 
They  pitch  them  in  separate  divisions,  and  then 
enclose  the  whole  camp,  together  with  the  space  of 
ground  into  which  they  drive  the  cattle,  with  a 
fence  of  thorns.  In-  the  centre  of  the  encamp- 
ment, and  generally  on  a  slight  elevation,  the  chief 
guard-house  is  situated,  which  is  inhabited  by  a  cer- 
tain number  of  armed  men,  who  are  daily  relieved. 
The  guard  is  armed  with  from  three  to  six  light 
javelins,  and  shields,  and  the  men  are  provided  with 
their  dar'book'keh  (drum),  in  order  to  be  able  to  alarm 
the  whole  camp  with  the  slightest  danger.  A  fire 
is  also  kept  up  all  night  at  this  guard-house.  They 
generally  dance  half  the  night  long  to  keep  them- 
selves awake,  are  always  prepared  for  an  attack,  and 
cannot  easily  be  surprised.  The  women  and  girls 
pass  the  time  of  the  watch  with  their  husbands,  or 
brothers,  at  the  chief  guard-house,  and  join  in  the 
dances.  Their  dance  differs  entirely  from  that  of 
the  other  natives  of  Kordofan ;  it  is  very  fantastic, 
and  has  really  something  imposing  about  it.  A 
large  fire  is  frequently  lighted  at  each  of  the  four 
corners  of  the  space,  where  the  drummers,  singers, 
and  those  who  beat  time,  are  located.  The  dancers 
range  themselves  in  two  rows  in  the  centre,  the  one 
being  formed  of  women,  the  opposite  of  men,  armed 
with  their  spears,  with  which  they  frequently  strike 
the  ground,  in  time,  during  the  dance.  At  first 
their  movements  are  slow,  but  they  are  soon  hurried 
away  by  excitement ;  and  the  men  swing  their 


NOMADIC   TRIBES.  123 

lances  with  a  fearful  cry,  as  if  they  were  about  to 
throw  them  at  the  women,  who  represent  the 
enemy.  The  latter  now  assume  a  more  humble 
deportment,  and  evince  their  submission  to  the 
attacking  party.  This  dance  must  be  seen,  in  order 
to  form  a  proper  conception  of  it ;  and  I  can  assure 
my  readers,  that  nothing  can  be  more  picturesque 
than  to  see  this  group  of  dancers  on  a  dark  night, 
the  scene  lighted  up  by  four  blazing  fires,  when  the 
stillness  of  the  night  is  only  interrupted  by  the  sim- 
ple scream  of  a  night-bird,  the  distant  roar  of  a 
lion,  or  the  howl  of  a  hyaena.  The  expressive  coun- 
tenances of  the  dancers  form  an  admirable  picture, 
which  well  accords  with  the  wildness  of  the  whole 
scene. 

The  women  and  girls  are  very  talkative  and 
friendly  with  those  they  know ;  they  all  shook 
hands  with  me,  and  made  repeated  enquiries  about 
my  health,  and  frequently  asked  me  what  I  wished 
to  eat  or  drink.  Nor  are  they  by  any  means  shy; 
for  I  even  had  the  opportunity  of  being  present  at 
the  toilette  of  a  sheikh's  wife.  The  lady  sat  on  an 
angareb  (bedstead),  surrounded  by  a  number  of 
young  and  beautiful  negro  girls,  upon  each  of  which 
a  particular  duty  was  incumbent.  The  one  fanned 
away  the  flies  with  a  handful  of  the  most  beautiful 
ostrich  leathers,  whilst  the  others  arranged  her  hair, 
an  occupation  requiring  several  hours  for  its  per- 
formance; for  it  is  no  easy  task  to  open  all  the 
various  matted  curls  with  a  single  pointed  wooden 


124  THE   BAKKARA. 

peg.  A  third  slave  washed  her  feet,  a  fourth 
ground  sulphur  to  a  fine  powder  between  two  stones. 
Another  slave  held  a  gourd,  filled  with  merissa, 
in  her  hand,  to  offer  her  mistress  a  cooling  draught 
whenever  she  might  demand  it;  while  another 
girl  held  a  cup,  containing  more  than  one  pound  of 
melted  butter,  which  was  poured  over  the  lady's 
head  as  soon  as  the  hair  was  undone.  All .  the 
butter  that  dropped  off  her  hair  on  to  her  back  was 
rubbed  in  over  her  whole  body  by  an  additional 
attendant.  In  conclusion,  her  head  was  powdered 
with  the  fine  flower  of  sulphur,  which  was  strewn  by 
handfulls  over  her  greasy  hair,  where  every  single 
grain  remained  adherent.  A  massive  golden  ring 
was  now  inserted  in  her  nostrils,  and  two  bracelets  of 
ivory,  about  two  inches  in  breadth,  were  put  upon 
her  arms.  On  her  forehead  three  pieces  of  amber, 
about  the  size  of  a  gold  coin,  were  hung,  and  round 
her  neck,  several  strings  of  beads,  formed  of  Bohe- 
mian glass.  A  piece  of  cotton  stuff  was  wound 
round  her  loins,  the  one  end  of  which  was  thrown 
gracefully  over  her  right  shoulder,  and  thus  the 
toilette  of  this  black  princess  was  completed.  She 
now  admired  herself  once  more  in  the  mirror,  repre- 
sented by  half  a  gourd  filled  with  water.  It  must 
not  be  imagined  that  these  women  in  any  way 
offend  against  the  dictates  of  delicacy ;  for  although, 
like  the  other  inhabitants  of  this  hot  climate,  they 
are  totally  naked,  with  the  exception  of  a  piece  of 
cotton,  or  a  leathern  apron  (rahat),  round  their  loins. 


NOMADIC   TRIBES.  125 

they  never  transgress  the  rules  of  the  most  rigid 
propriety.  The  women  are,  without  exception, 
handsome,  and  are  treated  very  well  by  their  hus- 
bands. Their  occupation  consists  in  cooking,  and 
at  tending  to  other  domestic  duties;  but  when  the 
men  go  into  battle,  they  by  no  means  remain  idle 
spectators,  but  encourage  them  with  their  shouts, 
and  assist  them  in  every  way  in  offering  the  most 
resolute  resistance. 

The  men  attend  to  the  cattle,  and  make  depre- 
datory excursions  for  stealing  slaves,  on  which  occa- 
sions their  few,  but  exceedingly  beautiful  and  hardy 
horses  render  them  essential  service.  When  a  tribe 
of  Bakkara  is  encamped  in  the  vicinity  of  the  hills 
of  the  negroes,  the  horsemen  are  sent  out  to  kidnap 
boys  or  girls.  They  have  not  yet  had  the  courage 
to  carry  on  this  business  on  the  same  extensive 
scale  as  Mehemed  Ali.  The  mode  of  proceeding  is 
the  following: — The  Bakkari  repair  to  places  in 
which  it  is  likely  that  these  children  will  congre- 
gate,— for  example,  in  the  vicinity  of  separate 
droves  of  cattle,  or  to  wells, — where  they  lie  in  am- 
bush, and  as  soon  as  one  of  the  children  is  within 
reach,  they  seize  it,  mount  their  horses,  and  ride 
away  with  their  prize  at  full  gallop.  Although  the 
scene  of  this  robbery  may  be  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
a  village,  or  of  a  tribe  of  negroes,  and  it  even  create 
a  disturbance,  yet  they  are  certain  of  their  prey,  for 
their  fleet  steeds  soon  carry  them  beyond  the  reach 
of  their  pursuers,  who,  moreover,  possess  no  hors<  -. 


126  THE  BAKKARA. 

They  live  very  contentedly  among  themselves,  and 
are  very  happy,  as  I  was  assured  by  one  of  their 
sheikhs,  who  added, — "  We  have  beautiful  horses, 
handsome  wives,  good  fare,  suffer  no  want,  and 
might  even  call  ourselves  rich ;  but  our  enemies, 
who  surround  us  on  all  sides,  and  especially  the 
flies,  so  dangerous  to  our  cattle,  embitter  our  lives ; 
for,  in  order  to  escape  the  latter  plague,  we  are 
forced  to  leave  the  safe  parts  of  the  country.  In 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  negroes  we  cannot  re- 
main, as  they  would  rise  in  mass  against  us,  and 
destroy  us  all,  in  revenge  for  their  kidnapped  chil- 
dren ;  thus  we  are  forced  to  choose  the  least  of 
these  many  evils,  and  to  deliver  ourselves  into  the 
hands  of  the  Turks,  who  treat  us  with  great  harsh- 
ness and  cruelty,  and  take  away  by  force  what  we 
will  not  give  them  willingly, — but  ALLAH  KERIM 
(as  God  will)!" 

The  government  of  Kordofan  treats  this  people, 
indeed,  with  every  species  of  cruelty ;  for  as  soon 
as  they  are  necessitated  to  fly  from  the  more  distant 
regions,  and  make  their  appearance  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Kordofan,  troops  are  immediately  despatched 
to  demand  the  tribute  of  them.  I  was  myself  an  eye- 
witness of  this  scene,  and  saw  nothing  but  unmerci- 
ful extortion  and  barbarous  brutality  used,  which  is, 
unfortunately,  the  ordinary  proceeding  of  that  go- 
vernment. A  major,  with  three  subaltern  officers, 
and  two  hundred  men,  rank  and  file,  of  infantry,  at- 
tended by  a  few  Bedouin  horsemen,  and  fifty  men 


NOMADIC  TRIBES.  127 

of  irregular  troops,  received  orders  to  proceed 
from  Lobeid  to  levy  the  annual  tribute,  consisting 
of  one  thousand  heads  of  oxen,  from  the  nearest 
Bakkara.  The  tribe,  acquainted  with  the  approach 
of  their  enemies,  did  all  in  their  power  to  entertain 
them  to  the  best  of  their  means.  On  their  arrival, 
several  oxen  and  sheep  were  daily  slaughtered,  me- 
rissa  was  served  in  abundance,  all  kinds  of  amuse- 
ments were  introduced,  in  short,  nothing  was  neg- 
lected that  might  render  the  sojourn  agreeable  to 
their  tormentors.  The  officers  and  soldiers  felt  ex- 
ceedingly comfortable  with  this  kind  of  life  during 
four  days,  enjoyed  their  Keyf,*  and  everything  went 
off  very  peaceably  and  all  were  happy.  On  the  fifth 
day,  however,  the  scene  suddenly  changed  :  for  the 
major  had  a  sheikh  summoned  into  his  presence, 
and  greeting  him  with  all  the  customary  terms  of 
abuse,  said,  in  a  harsh  tone, — "  Do  you  remember  that 
you  gave  me  last  year  the  wrorst  and  leanest  cattle, 
the  greater  part  of  which  died  on  the  road,  and  that 
I  had  to  make  good  the  loss  to  Mehemed  Ali  from 
my  own  purse  !  That  I  may  not  suffer  a  similar  loss 
this  year,  I  draw  your  attention  to  this  circum- 
stance, and  shall  immediately  take  care  to  impress 
it  also  on  your  memory."  He  hereupon  ordered  the 

*  The  most  prevalent  means,  in  most   Mooslem  countries,  of 

exciting  what   the  Arabs    term    lt  Keyf,"   which   I   cannot   more 

nearly  translate  than  by  the  word  "  exhilaration,"   is   tobacco, 

whose  accompaniment  is  usually  the  cup  of  coffee. — Lanes  Mo- 

/  •/t/j'ti<i/l$t  vol.  ii.,  ch.  2.,  p.  35-6. — TR. 


128  THE   BAKKARA. 

sheikh  to  lay  himself  on  the  ground.  Entreaties, 
prayers,  and  promises,  were  all  in  vain.  Two  cor- 
porals seized  the  condemned  man,  threw  him  for- 
cibly to  the  ground,  and  stood  in  readiness  to  inflict 
the  punishment  the  major  might  think  fit  to  order, 
with  the  whips  of  hippopotamus'  hide  they  held  in 
their  hands.  The  delinquent  again  endeavoured  to 
conciliate  the  major  with  entreaties,  and,  begging 
for  mercy,  assured  him  that  he  would  not  only  give 
him  very  good  cattle  this  time,  but,  moreover,  make 
him  a  present,  as  a  compensation  for  the  loss  he 
had  sustained  the  preceding  year.  This  was  what  the 
extortioner  wanted ;  but  to  intimidate  the  sheikh 
the  more,  and  to  force  him  to  increase  his  liberality, 
he  pretended  to  be  inflexible  ;  at  last,  however,  he 
allowed  the  supplicant  to  rise,  and  go  home  to  fetch 
the  promised  presents.  The  sheikh  hastened  im- 
mediately to  fulfil  his  promise,  and  brought  the 
major  four  large  nose-rings  of  massive  gold,  and  two 
slaves  for  each  officer.  Thus  harmony  was  once 
more  restored ;  the  number  of  oxen  required,  and, 
indeed,  from  the  best  herd,  were  selected,  and  the 
march  was  ordered  back  to  Lobeid. 

On  every  occasion  of  levying  tribute,  the  com- 
manding officer,  after  having  collected  the  govern- 
ment dues,  allows  himself  all  kinds  of  cruelties  and 
oppressive  means  to  extort  a  present  for  himself 
and  his  men.  A  sheikh  of  the  Bakkara  told  me, — 
and  the  soldiers  subsequently  corroborated  his  state- 
ment,— that  two  years  ago  a  major,  who  had  already 


NOMADIC   TRIBES. 

collected  the  tribute  from  a  small  Bakkara  tribe, 
and  had  besides  received  considerable  presents  for 
himself  and  his  officers,  not  contented  with  the 
booty,  resorted  to  a  singularly  cruel  plan  for  forcing 
them  to  greater  liberality. 

A  sergeant,  who  was  in  the  secret,  feigning 
drunkenness,  went  into  a  tent  in  which  the  sheikh's 
wives  were  kept,  and  there  conducted  himself  with 
^<>  much  impropriety,  that  the  women  ordered  him 
to  leave  the  place.  He  refused  to  obey ;  and  seized 
upon  a  woman,  who,  not  knowing  how  to  free  her- 
self from  his  importunities,  began  to  scream.  On 
hearing  the  cry,  several  Bakkara,  who  happened  to 
be  near,  entered  the  tent,  and  one  of  them,  witness- 
ing the  sergeant's  indecorous  behaviour,  dealt  him  a 
blow.  This  was  what  the  soldier  expected;  he  im- 
mediately made  a  great  noise,  ushered  himself  in- 
stantly into  the  presence  of  the  commanding  officer, 
and  complained  that  a  Bakkara  had  dared  to  strike 
one  of  Mehemed  Ali's  soldiers.  For  this  offence, 
the  commanding  officer  demanded  a  most  enor- 
mous tine,  and  ordered  his  troops  to  take  pos- 
session of  all  the  sheikh's  women  and  girls,  and  to 
keep  them  as  hostages.  The  sheikh  himself  wu> 
now  summoned,  and  told  to  bring  instantly  an  addi- 
tion of  two  hundred  oxen,  as  a  compensation  for  the 
offence  ottered  to  a  soldier  in  the  service  of  the 
government.  To  give  additional  weight  to  the-e 
orders,  and  to  intimidate  the  chief  the  more,  the 
barbarian  had  one  of  the  sheikh's  wives  and  two  of 

K 


130  THE   BAR KARA. 

his  female  slaves  hewn  to  pieces  by  a  corporal,  in 
his  presence,  informing  him,  At  the  same  time,  that 
a  similar  fate  awaited  all /his  wives  and  female 
slaves,  if  the  two  hundred  dxen  demanded  were  not 
instantly  forthcoming.  The  sheikh,  terrified  to 
the  utmost  by  these  proceedings,  promised  to  satisfy 
their  demands,  and  in  a  few  hours  the  number  of 
oxen  required  were  delivered  to  the  extortioner. 
The  cattle  was  of  course  shared  by  those  who  were 
privy  to  the  secret. 

As  the  delivery  of  cattle  to  Egypt  is  at  present 
put  an  end  to  by  order  of  the  Viceroy,  the  Bakkara 
have  no  longer  to  suffer  these  torments ;  but  they 
are,  no  doubt,  tortured  in  some  other  way.  The 
southern  provinces,  as  Dongola,  Sennaar,  and  Kordo- 
fan,  have,  for  several  years  past,  been  forced  to 
tender  twelve  thousand  oxen  annually  for  Egypt 
alone ;  eight  or  nine  thousand  heads  being  the 
stipulated  portion  required  from  Kordofan.  More 
than  one  half  of  these  animals  perished  on  the 
road  on  account  of  the  bad  management  with  which 
the  transport  was  conducted,  and  thus  the  govern- 
ment suffered  a  great  loss.  Sheds  where  grass  or 
chaff  was  kept  for  the  transport  were,  indeed, 
erected  between  Deppa  and  Cairo,  at  a  distance  of 
each  day's  march  ;  but  these  shunes,  as  they  are 
here  termed,  were  under  very  bad  direction ;  for  the 
inspectors  sold  the  greater  part  of  the  forage,  and 
thus  the  cattle  were  but  sparingly  fed,  and  the  ex- 
hausted beasts  were  deprived  of  the  opportunity  of 


NOMADIC   TRIBES.  131 

recruiting  their  strength.  A  second  error  was  also 
prevalent,  namely,  that  of  not  allowing  tired  or  sick 
beasts  to  rest  on  the  road,  for  they  were  driven  on 
with  the  rest  of  the  drove  until  they  dropped. 
Thus  by  bad  management  one  half  the  cattle  was 
annually  lost,  although  they  might  easily  have  been 
preserved  by  more  careful  treatment,  and  would 
have  been  of  invaluable  assistance  to  the  northern 
part  of  Egypt,  where  the  consumption  of  beasts  is 
considerable. 


132  THE   KUBBABEESH. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE    KUBBABEESH. 

THIS  small  nomadic  tribe  inhabits  the  country  to 
the  east  of  the  Bahr  Abiad  (White  Nile),  and  allied 
tribes  are  to  be  met  with  in  the  province  of  Don- 
gola.  They  differ  somewhat  in  their  habits  from  the 
Bakkara,  remain  stationary  throughout  the  year  in 
Kordofan,  merely  changing  their  pastures  frequently. 
They  scarcely  follow  any  agricultural  pursuits,  and 
breed  but  very  little  cattle.  Their  actual  occupa- 
tion consists  merely  in  effecting  the  transports  which 
the  government  sends  to  Dongola  and  Sennaar,  and 
in  supplying  the  caravans  of  the  Djelabi  proceed- 
ing in  all  directions  over  Africa  with  the  camels 
necessary  for  their  purpose.  They  themselves  breed 
very  few  of  these  animals,  but  buy  the  greater 
quantity  in  the  country.  Their  accurate  acquaint- 
ance with  the  roads  in  every  direction  across  the 
desert  is  truly  wonderful.  They  readily  shape  their 
course  by  the  heavens  by  day  or  night,  know 
exactly  where  they  are,  and  can  tell  to  a  nicety  the 
exact  distance  from  the  position  in  which  they  may 
happen  to  be  to  any  other  place.  Their  senses  both 


THE   KUBBABEESH.  133 

of  sight  and   hearing  are  so  acute  and  quick,  that 
they  c;m  distinguish,  at  the  greatest  distance,  objects 
which  an  Kuropean  could  only  see  with  the  aid  of  a 
telescope ;    they  can  even  at    night-time   perceive 
camels   at    long  distances,  seldom  deceiving  them- 
selves in  the  estimation  of  their  numbers ;  they  are, 
therefore,    invaluable    to    the    government    in    the 
transport  of  the  various  products  of  the  country,  and 
to  the   caravans    passing   through    the  country,    in 
general,  they  are  almost  indispensable.  Their  sheikhs, 
who,  I  may  say,  are  lords  and  masters,  consider  their 
subjects  as  their  serfs,  and  treat  them  accordingly. 
This  race  of  men  is  already  much  contaminated  by 
mixing  with  negro  women.     The  sheikhs  make  a 
considerable    profit    by    furnishing    travellers    with 
camels ;  the  more  so  as  their  expenses  on  the  road 
may  be  considered  a  mere  trifle,  for  they  find  the 
food  for   their  camels    on  the    road-side,   and    the 
drivers  receive  only  a  little  flour  for  bread,  (which, 
however,  they  do  not  bake  daily,)  or  dockn,  a  small 
quantity    of  which    they    boil    in    water    and    call 
belilleh.     With  a  small  bag  of  these  hard  pills  they 
undertake    the    longest    journeys,    and    will     bear 
hunger  and  thirst  for  an  astonishing  length  of  time. 
Locusts  they  consider  a  delicacy.     The  head,  win 
and   first  joints  of  the  hind-legs   of  the   insect  are 
torn  oil,  and  the  body,  spitted  on  a  wooden  skewer, 
is  masted  over  the  coals.      At  first  I  could  not  make 
up    my  mind    to   ta^te   these    insects,    but    two  woful 
da\N.   many   of  which    may    be    passed   in   Africa,  at 


134  THE    KUBBABEESH. 

last  compelled  me  to  eat  them.  The  hard  pills,  or 
belilleh,  were  too  dry  for  me,  and  would  not  pass 
down  my  throat ;  I  therefore  made  the  best  of  a 
bad  case,  and  resorted  to  locusts.  At  first,  as  I 
before  mentioned,  I  felt  a  slight  degree  of  disgust, 
and  I  could  not  relish  them,  but  I  subsequently 
consoled  myself  with  John  the  Baptist  and  Allah 
Kerim.  When  the  Kubbabeesh  meet  with  a  sick 
camel,  which  the  caravans  are  frequently  obliged  to 
leave  behind  them,  they  immediately  cut  its  throat, 
and  make  a  hearty  meal ;  the  rest  of  the  meat  is 
laden  on  their  own  camels,  and  eaten  even  when 
covered  with  maggots.  They  use  no  doga  in  making 
their  bread,  but  bake  it  after  the  fashion  of  many  of 
the  negro  tribes;  that  is  to  say,  they  lay  several 
stones  close  together  in  form  of  a  circle,  selecting 
pebbles,  if  they  can  find  them,  as  the  small  stones 
become  more  quickly  heated,  and  light  a  large  fire 
upon  them.  As  soon  as  the  wood  is  consumed,  they 
remove  the  charcoal  from  the  stones,  and  spread  a 
paste  of  dockn  flour,  of  the  thickness  of  three 
fingers,  on  them,  covering  it  carefully  over  with  the 
coal.  The  bread  is  baked  in  a  very  short  time,  or, 
to  speak  more  accurately,  the  upper  and  lower 
crust  is  burnt  whilst  the  paste  remains  unbaked  in 
the  interior.  They  are  not  paid  any  wages,  but,  at 
the  feast  of  the  great  Baeram,  a  present  is  made 
them  of  a  piece  of  cotton  and  a  dollar. 

On  journeys  it  is  as  well  to  behave  with  kindness 
towards  these  children  of  the  desert,  for  although  life 


THE  KUBBABEESH.  135 

may  never  be  endangered  by  them,  they  injure  those 
who  treat  them  with  harshness  in  a  manner  which 
is  most  severely  felt.  Their  mode  of  revenging 
themselves  generally  consists  in  making  an  almost 
imperceptible  incision  with  their  lances  into  the 
leather  bags  containing  the  water,  which  is  thus 
wasted,  and  does  not  last  over  the  expected  time. 
They  call  themselves  sultans  of  the  desert,  and  the 
stranger  is  indeed  entirely  at  their  mercy,  for 
they  can  themselves  bear  thirst  well  for  one 
day  or  longer,  but  travellers  are  dreadfully  tor- 
tured by  this  proceeding;  hence  it  is  much  better 
not  to  injure  these  poor  people  in  any  way, 
as  they  are  by  no  means  officious,  but  readily 
perform  all  the  services  required  of  them  for  a 
mere  trifle. 

Merchandize  and  goods  entrusted  to  them  are 
well  taken  care  of,  for  their  sheikh,  with  whom  an 
agreement  touching  the  delivery  of  the  goods  is 
made,  is  answerable  for  their  safe  arrival.  Any- 
thing that  may  be  stolen  by  his  people,  or  de- 
stroyed through  their  neglect,  he  is  forced  to  make 
good ;  he  consequently  only  receives  one  half  of  the 
stipulated  payment  in  advance.  On  my  journey  to 
Kordoian  1  met  with  seventeen  camel-loads  of  gum 
and  hide's,  near  the  ravine  of  Semmeria,  which  the 
Kubbabeesh,  for  some  reason  with  which  1  am  not 
acquainted,  left  lying  in  the  road,  having  them- 
•elTOfi  decamped  with  their  camels.  Neither  the 
gum  nor  the  hides  had  sullered  an\  damage,  and 


136  THE   KUBBABEESH. 

the  whole  cargo  was  subsequently  safely  delivered 
at  Dongola.  The  Divan  of  Lobeid,  however,  made 
a  demand  of  thirty  thousand  piasters  as  an  indemni- 
fication for  the  loss  said  to  be  sustained  by  the 
damage  done  to  the  goods.  The  sheikh  was  forced 
to  pay  this  sum  to  the  very  farthing,  although  the 
goods  had  not  cost  the  government  more  than  about 
one  thousand  piasters  ;  for  the  government  pays  one 
ox-hide  with  three  piasters,  and  a  cantaro  of  gum 
with  fifteen  piasters.  The  government,  moreover, 
had  not  even  lost  anything  in  interest  for  the  capital 
laid  out,  as  the  occurrence  took  place  during  the 
dry  season.  But  this  is  the  system  pursued  by  this 
tyrannical  administration  for  extorting  money  from 
this  tribe,  which  is  otherwise  not  highly  taxed,  and 
thus  it  again  deprives  them  of  their  hard-earned 
wages,  a  pittance  literally  gained  by  the  sweat  of 
their  brow,  as  their  pay  is  always  most  narrowly 
calculated ;  and  so  much  is,  moreover,  deducted  from 
the  sum  agreed  upon,  that  barely  enough  remains 
to  keep  them  from  starving. 

It  has  been  proved,  by  accurate  calculation, 
that  the  Kubbabeesh  must  make  considerable  sums 
by  the  thousands  of  camel-loads  which  the  go- 
vernment and  the  many  Djelabi,  transport,  espe- 
cially as  their  own  expenses  are  but  trifling.  In 
order,  therefore,  to  lessen  these  profits,  as  far  as  this 
is  possible,  for  the  benefit  of  their  employers,  all 
manner  of  ruses  and  subterfuges  are  resorted  to,  to 
enable  the  government  to  sue  the  sheikhs  for  a 


THE   KUBBABEESH.  137 

compensation  for  damage  sustained.  The  gum  is 
forwarded  immediately  after  it  has  been  collected 
from  the  trees,  when  four  cantari  constitute  a 
camel-load.  The  distance  from  Kordofan  to  Don- 
gola,  is  twenty  days' journey.  Wind  and  heat  will 
dry  gum,  and  it  of  course  decreases  in  bulk  and 
weight ;  much  is,  moreover,  lost  on  the  road,  in 
consequence  of  the  slovenly  manner  in  which  it 
is  packed.  Arrived  at  Dongola,  it  is  left  several 
days  lying  in  the  sun  before  it  is  weighed,  the 
natural  consequence  of  this  exposure  is,  that  each 
load  suffers  a  considerable  reduction  in  weight. 
All  this  loss  the  sheikh  has  to  make  good,  and  in 
(.'fleeting  the  arrangement,  the  gum  is  calculated 
at  the  price  at  which  the  government  sells  it  in 
Alexandria  to  the  Europeans ;  thus  the  sheikh  fre- 
q neatly  only  receives  a  quarter  of  the  sum  agreed 
upon  for  the  freight,  and  not  even  this  pittance  in 
ready  money,  for  he  is  finally  compelled  to  accept 
cotton-stuff,  manufactured  at  Dongola,  in  lieu  of 
payment,  taking  the  piece  sold  by  the  government 
in  the  same  place  for  twelve  piasters,  at  a  value  of 
twenty  piasters.  Goaded  to  the  utmost  by  oppres- 
sions of  tli is  description,  the  subjects  of  a  small 
sheikh  determined,  in  the  year  1838,  to  leave  Kor- 
dofan, and  settle  in  Darfour.  The  poor  people, 
however,  gained  nothing  by  this  movement,  but  tell, 
as  the  proverb  has  it,  out  of  the  frying-pan  into  the 
tire;  for  on  their  arrival  at  Darfour,  where  they 
intended  to  place  themselves  under  the  protection 


138  THE   KUBBABEESH. 

of  the  Sultan  Mohammed  Fadel,  he  seized  nearly 
all  their  camels,  with  the  exception  only  of  some 
few  beasts,  laden  with  bread  and  water,  and  had 
the  emigrants  hunted  over  the  borders,  thus  they 
were  forced  to  deliver  themselves  again  into  the 
hands  of  their  former  tormentors  in  Kordofan. 
When  Mehemed  Ali,  on  his  last  journey,  heard 
this,  he  summoned,  on  his  arrival  at  Khartoom, 
Sale,  the  great  sheikh  of  the  Kubbabeesh,  into  his 
presence,  and  flattered  him  in  every  possible  man- 
ner, in  order  to  win  him  over ;  he  even  did  him  the 
extraordinary  honour  of  allowing  him  to  sit  on  his 
right  hand,  and  after  having  convinced  himself  of 
the  injustice  under  which  his  people  groaned,  pro- 
mised to  take  the  measures  necessary  for  their 
relief.  The  Viceroy  immediately  raised  the  rate  of 
freightage  of  a  camel-load  from  forty-five  to  eighty 
piasters,  and  thus  Sheikh  Sale  was  conciliated.  On 
the  same  occasion,  Mehemed  Ali  asked  the  chief 
the  reason  why  he,  so  young  a  man,  had  already  a 
grey  beard  ?  This  question  he  impressively  answered 
by  saying, — "  Your  Turks  are  the  cause  of  my  beard 
turning  grey ;  for  they  oppress  and  torment  me  in 
every  ^possible  way,  and  make  me  grow  old  before 
my  time !"  Mehemed  Ali  consoled  him,  and  took 
leave  of  him  with  that  flattering  language  so  pecu- 
liar to  him  on  these  occasions.  The  government,  in 
fact,  well  understands  the  necessity  of  keeping  on 
good  terms  with  these  good  people ;  for  the  services 
they  perform  are  invaluable,  and  nothing  is,  more- 


THE    KUBBABEESII.  131) 

<»vcr,  to  be  effected  by  force  with  this  tribe;  for  if 
they  had  the  slightest  idea  that  coercive  measures 
were  to  be  employed  against  them,  they  would  soon 
disappear  out  of  Kordofan.  To  emigrate  into  Dar- 
four  would  certainly  be  too  hazardous  an  experi- 
ment ;  to  the  south  and  south-east  the  murderous 
fly,  so  destructive  to  the  camels,  is  to  be  met  with, 
and  helps  materially  to  compel  them  to  remain  in 
the  country.  Notwithstanding  these  impediments, 
however,  they  know  very  well  how  to  secure  them- 
selves when  force  is  employed  against  them,  for 
the  following  facts  were  related  to  me  by  an  officer, 
who  was  himself  an  eye-witness  of  the  affair.  The 
government  was  about  to  expedite  several  hundred 
camel-loads  of  goods,  and  sent  couriers  to  the  Kub- 
babeesh  with  orders  to  furnish  the  necessary  quan- 
tity of  camels,  and  bring  them  to  Lobeid ;  the  lat- 
ter, however,  refused  to  obey.  A  considerable 
military  detachment  was  now  sent  to  force  them  to 
submission,  but  the  government  was  very  much 
deceived  in  its  expectations  of  the  result;  for  the 
Kubbabeesh,  acquainted  with  their  intentions,  col- 
lected all  their  camels,  and  fled  to  the  desert,  where 
it  was  impossible  to  overtake  them.  They  ahvay> 
kept  half  a  day's  march  in  advance  of  the  troops, 
could  even  frequently  be  descried  at  a  distance, 
but  all  attempts  to  overtake  them  were  in  vain  ; 
for,  thoroughly  acquainted  with  all  the  roads  and 
various  localities,  they  were  enabled  easily  to  de- 
ceive their  pursuers,  and  thus  to  eflect  their  escape. 


140  THE   KUBBABEESH. 

Arrived  on  the  third  day  at  a  spring,  they  watered 
their  camels,  supplied  themselves  with  the  quantity 
of  water  they  required,  filled  up  the  well,  and  con- 
tinued their  march.  The  soldiers,  in  their  turn, 
arriving  with  their  camels  at  the  well,  found  it 
destroyed,  and  were  forced,  for  want  of  water,  to 
return,  and  give  up  the  chase  of  the  victorious 
Kubbabeesh.  Thus  the  government  was  obliged  to 
wait  patiently  until  they  returned  of  their  own 
accord. 

Their  dress  consists  of  a  piece  of  cotton-stuff 
which  they  wind  round  their  bodies,  and  very  few 
of  them  only  wear  shirts.  Their  heads  are  un- 
covered, but  on  journeys  they  wear  a  sheep  or  goat- 
skin, after  the  fashion  of  the  leathern  apron  of  the 
miners  of  Germany,  to  enable  them  to  sit  down,  a 
position  which  would  otherwise  be  impracticable, 
considering  the  burning  heat  of  the  sand.  They 
always  carry  a  few  spears  and  a  shield.  Foreigners 
visiting  these  countries  cannot  travel  more  economi- 
cally than  by  engaging  the  Kubbabeesh ;  in  Dongola, 
the  Dongolas  indeed  keep  camels,  but  I  advise 
every  one  to  give  the  preference  to  the  former, 
for  although  the  government  pays  eighty  piasters 
from  Lobeid  to  Debba,  or  Dolip,  on  the  Nile,  (in  the 
province  of  Dongola,)  whereas  the  Djelabi  only  pay 
sixty  piasters,  sometimes  even  only  forty-five,  for 
the  same  distance,  and  thirty  piasters  from  Lobeid 
to  Khartoom,  the  Kubbabeesh  always  give  the  prefe- 


THE   KUBBABEESII.  141 

mice  to  an  engagement  with  the  latter  because  the 
payment,  although  less,  is  effected  in  ready  money, 
whereas  the  government  make  great  deductions, 
and  force  them  moreover  to  accept  of  goods  in  lieu 
of  cash. 


142  DAR-IIAMMER. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

DAR-HAMMER. 

THIS  people  immigrated  several  years  ago  from 
Darfour  into  Kordofan ;  a  large  branch  of  the  same 
tribe,  however,  is  yet  to  be  found  in  the  former 
country.  Their  occupation  consists  in  rearing  ca- 
mels and  in  agriculture.  They  are  possessed  of  the 
finest  "  ships  of  the  desert "  in  Kordofan ;  they  do  not, 
however,  undertake  transports  like  the  Kubbabeesh, 
but  merely  trade  in  these  animals,  which  they  sell 
to  the  Djelabi,  Kubbabeesh,  and  neighbouring 
tribes.  They  are  obliged  to  furnish  the  government 
with  the  quantity  of  camels  necessary  for  the  slave- 
hunts  or  other  grand  expeditions,  and  to  bring  them 
to  Cairo.  They  also  form  the  guard  of  the  borders 
towards  Darfour,  several  thousands  of  men  armed 
with  shield  and  spear,  and  in  part  with  large  dou- 
ble-edged swords  being  always  in  readiness  to  pre- 
vent an  invasion  from  that  quarter.  No  incursion 
has  ever  yet  taken  place,  but  many  a  depredatory 
excursion  has  been  undertaken  by  the  Dar-Ham- 
mer  themselves  into  the  neighbouring  villages  of 


DAR-IIAMMER.  143 

Darfour;  and  the  Egyptian  government  not  only 
tolerates  these  marauding  invasions,  but  lends  the 
Dar- 1 1  an  nner  every  possible  assistance,  furnishing 
them  even  with  a  few  Bedouin  horsemen  on  these 
occasions.  These  expeditions  are,  in  fact,  virtually 
undertaken  for  the  government,  for  the  number  of 
camels  they  demand  as  tribute  from  the  tribe  is  too 
great  for  the  sheikh  to  be  able  to  furnish,  and  he  is 
therefore  forced  to  steal  the  deficiency  in  Darfour. 

When  the  sheikh,  a  few  years  ago,  complained  at 
the  divan  in  Lobeid,  that  it  was  not  in  his  power  to 
return  the  number  of  animals  required  of  him,  and 
that  he  must  make  an  incursion  into  Darfour  for  the 
purpose  of  stealing  camels  to  be  able  to  satisfy  their 
claims  ;  they  not  only  approved  of  the  measure,  but 
agreed  to  assist  the  sheikh  in  the  execution  of  this 
useful  project  by  lending  him  a  number  of  Bedouin 
horsemen.  Thus,  if  there  be  a  lack  of  camels,  an 
incursion  is  made  without  further  question  into  the 
nearest  villages,  to  steal  them.  It  is  only  astonish- 
ing that  Darfour  puts  up  with  this  depredation  with- 
out making  any  reprisals. 

The  residence  of  the  sheikh  of  the  Dar-Hammer 
is  situated  at  a  distance  of  twelve  hours'  march  from 
Lobeid.  I  made  his  acquaintance  in  the  town,  and 
subsequently  paid  him  a  visit  at  his  quarters.  He 
received  me  most  hospitably,  and  I  had  the  oppor- 
tunity of  being  present  at  a  divan  which  lie  held  in 
liis  spacious  tukkoli.  The  sheikh's  seat  \\as  on  an 
aii(uarel)  opposite  the  door,  and  by  his  side  sat  one 


144  DAR-HAMMER. 

of  his  four  wives  ;  he  changes  them,  indeed,  daily, 
and  the  great  lady  must  honour  the  divan  with  her 
presence.  By  his  side  lay  his  sword  of  justice,  with 
a  massive  silver  hilt  and  silver  head  of  the  size  of  a 
hen's  egg.  The  plaintiffs  and  defendants  had  arran- 
ged themselves  in  the  form  of  a  half  circle  on  the 
floor.  A  large  earthen  pot  filled  with  merissa  was 
placed  at  the  feet  of  the  chief's  wife,  from  which 
she  offered  both  parties  frequently  a  cup  during  the 
transaction  of  the  business.  But  this  was  done  with 
a  certain  degree  of  ceremony,  in  order  to  prove  that 
the  sheikh,  as  arbitrator,  knew  no  partiality,  and 
that  both  parties  were,  in  fact,  equal  in  his  eyes. 
The  decision  of  the  arbitrator  is  always  short  and 
decisive ;  is  regarded  as  peremptory,  and  strictly 
acted  upon,  for  these  good  people  go  upon  the 
principle  that  their  head  can  never  be  deceived. 

The  Dar-hammer  do  not  differ  in  their  domestic 
habits  from  the  other  inhabitants  of  Kordofan,  and 
are  on  the  whole  one  of  the  most  amiable  class  of 
people  in  this  province.  They  make  a  noise  with 
their  tongues  to  express  "  yes  or  no,"  like  the  other 
natives  of  Kordofan ;  and  this  sound  must  have  been 
frequently  heard  before  it  is  possible  to  distinguish 
between  the  negative  and  affirmative  tone. 

During  my  whole  residence  in  Kordofan  I  never 
heard  of  their  having  ill-treated  or  robbed  any 
stranger,  much  less  of  their  having  committed 
murder ;  always  excepting  their  excursions  into 
Darfour,  which  they  do  not  regard  as  wrong,  as  they 


DAR-IIAMMER.  1  }.") 

are  undertaken  with  the  sanction  or,  more  properly 
speaking,  at  the  command  of  the  government. 

The  chief  sheikh,  a  very  handsome  man,  is  only 
to  be  distinguished  from  the  rest  of  his  tribe  by  his 
silver  hilted  sword.  He  is  generally  beloved  by  his 
subjects,  and  all  his  orders  are  executed  with  a 
punctuality  on  which  but  few  governments  can 
pride  themselves.  When  out  of  doors  he  is  always 
mounted,  and  his  horse  might  have  been  the  boa-t 
of  the  stud  of  an  European  court ;  for  during  all  my 
travels  I  never  saw  a  more  beautiful  animal,  or  one 
of  such  pure  breed. 

The  Dar-Hammer  are  very  hospitable,  and  it  re- 
quires but  little  trouble  to  win  the  affection  of  these 
simple  children  of  nature,  for  they  know  but  few 
wants,  and  are  always  satisfied  witli  a  trifle.  The 
women  are  not  handsome,  but  of  very  amiable  dis- 
position ;  they  attend  to  the  household  affairs,  and 
to  the  children,  and  occupy  their  leisure  hours,  of 
which  there  are  certainly  many,  with  their  simple 
adornment.  Their  dress  resembles  that  of  the 
other  tribes ;  not  even  their  sheikh  wears  a  cover- 
iiii>-  to  his  head,  nor  do  they  indeed  require  it,  for 
their  bushy  hair  is  so  thick  that  the  rays  of  the  sun 
could  not  easily  penetrate  through  it. 

It   is   an    axiom    that   where   there    is    no  water 
neither  man  nor  animals  can  live.      A  great  tract  of 
the    Dar-Hammer   forms,   however,  an   exception   to* 
this  rule.     This  appears  indeed  incredible,  but  it  k 
nevertheless  true;    for  when  the  rain-water  which 

L 


146  DAR-HAMMER. 

collects  in  the  small  ponds,  called  by  the  Dar-Ham- 
mer  Fula,  has  evaporated,  not  a  drop  of  drinkable 
water  is,  commonly  speaking,  to  be  found  in  the 
various  districts  they  inhabit  during  three  months 
of  the  year ;  and  there  are  no  wells  or  cisterns  in 
the  country,  with  the  exception  of  the  Nedjer  wells. 
The  villages,  therefore,  situated  at  a  distance  from 
these  springs,  are  obliged  to  send  their  women, 
children,  old  and  infirm  men,  their  goats,  sheep,  and 
part  of  their  camels,  to  the  above-mentioned  wells, 
and  to  Ketshmar,  during  three  months  of  the  year. 
Only  the  men,  and  a  few  camels,  remain  behind. 
To  furnish  a  substitute  for  water  they  resort  to  the 
following  plan  :  they  cultivate  large  fields  of  water- 
melons, which  ripen  about  the  time  at  which  the 
scarcity  of  water  begins  to  be  felt.  The  ripe  fruit 
is  daily  gathered,  and  the  juice  expressed  is  not 
drunk,  but  used  for  merissa,  or  boiling  the  assida 
and  woika :  they  escape  one  inconvenience  which 
would  result  from  a  lack  of  water  elsewhere,  for  they 
have  no  linen  to  wash,  and  those  who  wear  so  luxu- 
rious an  article  of  dress  as  a  shirt  never  wash  it, 
even  when  there  is  abundance  of  water.  The  camels 
remaining  with  them  receive  two  fresh  melon  husks 
daily.  This  allowance  supplies  them  with  the 
quantity  of  fluid  necessary  for  them,  and  they  do 
not  suffer  in  the  slightest  degree  from  thirst ;  for,  as 
•a  rule,  camels  are  only  watered  every  two  or  three 
days 


TRIBES   BORDERING   ON   KORDOFAN.  147 


CHAPTER  XL 

TRIBES    BORDERING    ON    KORDOFAN,    SHILLUK,    NUBA,    TAKALB, 
ETC. 

ON  the  borders  of  the  province  of  Kordofan  pro- 
perly so  called,  towards  the  south-east,  live  the  Shil- 
luk,  and  the  Denky,  or  Jenky,  as  they  are  also  termed; 
the  latter  inhabit  the  eastern  shore  of  the  White 
Nile.  The  country  of  the  Shilluk  occupies  a  very 
large  tract  of  land  extending  considerably  into  the 
interior  towards  the  west  of  the  White  River.  Both 
tribes,  the  Shilluk  as  well  as  the  Denky,  seem  to  be 
one  and  the  same  people,  as  far  as  their  outward  ap- 
pearance, their  build,  habits  and  customs  are  concern- 
ed, but  their  language  differs.  The  sultans  of  the 
Shilluk  were  formerly  very  potent:  even  Sennaar,  the 
realms  of  which  extended  to  the  borders  of  Dongola, 
they  had  conquered ;  and  the  latter  country  wa* 
governed  by  one  of  the  sultan's  family  as  late  as  the 
year  1821,  when  it  was  rendered  tributary  to 
Mehemed  Ali  by  the  superior  force  of  the  Egyptian 
troops.  The  son  of  the  last  king  of  Sennaar  is  at 
present  living  in  a  miserable  village.  Mehemed 


148  TRIBES   BORDERING   ON   KORDOFAN, 

All,    with    peculiar   consideration,    has    made    him 
magistrate  of  this  village,  where  he  lives  in  very 
straitened  circumstances.     The  Shilluks  and  Denky 
are    easily  distinguished  from    among  a  concourse 
of  other  nations,  for  they  have  oblong  heads,  and 
are    more  especially  known    by   the   want    of  the 
four  lower  incisor  teeth,  which  are  extracted  when 
they  are  ten  or  twelve  years  of  age,  a  kind  of  re- 
ligious ceremony,  as  I  was  told,  similar  to  that  of 
circumcision  or   baptism.      They  are    of  muscular 
build,  and  very  merry,  but  are  not  much   prized  as 
slaves,  and  are  indeed  always  at  a  lower  price  than 
other  captives  in  Kordofan  and  Sennaar.     The  chief 
reason  of  this  discrepancy  is  that  they  are  stupid, 
lazy,   and  childish,   and  cannot  be   confidently  en- 
trusted with  any  duty.     They  are  to  be  seen  run- 
ning about  all  day  long,  or  engaged  in  games  which 
could  only  please  children.     They  are  very  treacher- 
ous, and  can  never  be  left  to  themselves,  but  must, 
in  fact,  always  be  placed  under  the  inspection  of 
other  slaves.     Those  only  wrho  leave  home  at  a  very 
early  age  form  the   exception  to  this  rule.     With 
such  deficiences  they  are,  consequently,  only  used  for 
the  very  lowest  class  of  labour,  and    treated    not 
much  better  than  beasts  of  burden.     Mehemed  Ali, 
who  formed  his  first  regiment  of  foot  entirely  of 
negroes,  has  latterly  given  orders  not  to  enlist  any 
more  recruits  from  this   tribe ;    he  found,   indeed, 
that  their  services  were  not  only  of  no  avail,  but 
that  their  excessive  stupidity  was  likely  to  lead  to 


SIIILLUK,   NUBA,   TAKALE,   ETC.  149 

ulterior  consequences  ;  for  there  have  been  instances 
known  of  soldiers  from  this  tribe  whilst  on  duty,  giv- 
ing their  musket  without  hesitation,  and  the  charge 
into  the  bargain,  to  any  casual  passer-by  who  hap- 
pened to  offer  them  a  small  present  for  it.  In  fact, 
the  officers  were  always  obliged  to  keep  these  men 
under  strict  inspection,  for  they  were  never  to  be 
trusted  alone. 

In  many  books  of  travels  and  geography  the 
Shilluks  are  described  as  cannibals,  but  this  report 
is  erroneous,  and  all  intelligence  which  I  have 
been  able  to  collect  from  the  Djelabi  on  this  point 
agrees  in  proving  this  assertion  to  be  utterly  false, 
for  they  have  never  even  heard  the  slightest 
rumour  corroborative  of  this  absurd  report.  On 
my  flight  from  Kordofan,  I  heard  on  my  arrival  at 
Tara,  on  the  White  River,  that  an  European  was 
residing  at  the  chief  town  of  the  Shilluk,  with  a 
strong  escort,  to  catch  eight  hippopotami  for  Me- 
hemed  Ali,  and  to  prepare  their  skins,  to  stuff 
them,  in  fact,  as  specimens  for  a  museum.  I  im- 
mediately set  out  on  my  journey  from  Tara, 
and  after  a  long  march  of  two  tedious  days  on  a 
camel,  reached  the  scene  of  action,  where  I  cer- 
tainly found  the  hippopotamus  hunters ;  but  the 
Kuropean,  whose  name  was  Bartolo,  lia<l  left  a  few 
davs  before  my  arrival,  for  Kliartoom,  on  the  east- 
ern shore.  During  my  sojourn  among  the  Shil- 
luks, I  assisted  at  a  hippopotamus  limit  ;  five  had 
been  already  killed,  hut  they  were  so  carelessly 


150  TRIBES  BORDERING  ON   KORDOFAN, 

dissected,  that  I  felt  sure  they  would  not  keep  for 
any  length  of  time ;  in  fact,  they  very  soon  spoiled, 
and  are  now  lying  quite  useless  at  Cairo.  On  this 
occasion,  I  had  an  opportunity  of  becoming  more 
intimately  acquainted  with  the  Shilluks,  as  far  in 
fact  as  my  residence  among  them  would  permit  it. 
I  found  that  they  are  in  their  own  country,  quite 
as  idle  as  they  are  in  captivity  abroad;  they  may 
be  seen  loitering  about,  but  never  by  any  chance  at 
work.  During  the  hot  season  they  do  not  sleep 
in  their  huts,  but  in  the  open  air,  old  and  young 
congregating  together  like  a  herd  of  cattle.  The 
Shilluks  walk  about  in  a  state  of  complete  nu- 
dity, and  only  when  they  are  married  cover  their 
loins  with  a  strip  of  cotton-stuff.  The  majority  of 
them  wear  merely  a  piece  of  calico  of  the  size 
of  a  hand  to  cover  their  nakedness.  Their  women 
are  very  ill-used.  The  cause  of  this  ill-treatment 
is,  generally,  superstition :  thus,  if  the  husband  whilst 
hunting  miss  his  aim  with  his  spear,  or  tread  a 
thorn  into  his  foot,  his  wife  must  bear  the  blame ; 
he  accuses  her  of  having  at  the  moment  of  his  dis- 
aster, been  unfaithful,  and  there  is  no  help  for  her, 
she  must  undergo  chastisement.  If  the  adultery  be 
proved,  and  a  complaint  be  made  to  the  Sheikh, 
she  receives  three  strokes  on  the  head  with  a 
crooked  stick,  one  in  the  centre  arid  one  at  either 
side  of  the  head,  such  unmerciful  blows  indeed, 
that  the  blood  instantly  gushes  forth.  These 
punishments  are  of  very  frequent  occurrence,  for 


SHILLUK,   NUBA,   TAKALE,   ETC.  151 

adultery  is  not  uncommon  among  the   Shilluks.  * 

*  *  *  # 

The  products  they  obtain  from  the  ground  may 
be  regarded  as  a  mere  nothing.  They  cultivate  as 
much  dokn  as  they  believe  sufficient  to  last  from 
one  harvest  to  the  next.  On  the  possibility  of  a 
failure  of  the  harvest,  they  never  bestow  a  thought, 
nor  do  they  pay  any  consideration  to  other  contin- 
gencies, by  laying  in  stores.  Their  cattle  is  said 
to  be  numerous  in  some  few  places,  but  is  reared 
without  the  slightest  care  or  attendance.  They 
have  no  salt  in  their  own  country,  and  are  obliged, 
therefore,  to  obtain  it  from  Sennaar  or  Kordofan; 
but  the  greater  portion  of  the  inhabitants  have 
never  tasted  this  condiment.  All  other  necessaries, 
which  they  might  produce  with  little  trouble  them- 
selves, they  obtain  by  barter  from  their  neigh- 
bours, giving  articles  in  exchange  which  nature 
brings  forth  without  the  assistance  of  art.  This 
tribe  is,  taken  all  in  all,  the  very  ne  plies  ultra  of 
idleness  and  stupidity,  and  they  differ  but  imma- 
terially from  animals.  They  are  consequently  not 
as  dangerous  to  travellers  as  other  tribes,  who  are 
always  on  the  alert  for  prey,  and  but  few  robbers 
by  profession  live  among  their  hills;  the  other 
Shi  links,  moreover,  always  warn  the  Djelabi  travel- 
ling through  their  country  not  to  approach  the  in- 

»  Maxima  mihi  etiam  apud  hoc  nigrorum  genus  general ionis 
orguna  ubservandi  fuit  occasio. 


152  TRIBES   BORDERING   ON    KORDOFAN, 

fested  neighbourhoods.  Their  chief  wealth  consists 
in  ivory,  which  they  likewise  obtain  in  certain 
parts  of  their  dominions  without  the  slightest 
trouble.  They  arrange  the  teeth  in  rows,  forming 
a  fence  round  their  huts,  and  barter  them  away 
to  the  Djelabi  when  they  come  into  their  parts. 
There  are  many  elephants  in  the  country  wan- 
dering about  in  herds  of  several  hundreds  each  ; 
they  are,  however,  met  with  singly,  during  the 
greater  portion  of  the  year.  It  is  only  at  a  certain 
period — generally  before  the  rain  sets  in — that  they 
collect  together  in  herds,  and  then  they  cross  the 
White  Nile  in  the  direction  of  Fazoglo.  An  old 
female  elephant  is  always  the  leader,  and  deter- 
mines on  the  spot  for  crossing  the  stream.  This 
movement  is  effected  with  a  fearful  noise,  as  may  be 
easily  imagined  when  so  large  a  number  of  these  mov- 
ing mountains  are  known  to  be  swimming  in  the  river 
at  the  same  time.  They  draw  up  a  quantity  of 
water  in  their  proboscis,  and  spurt  it  forth  again 
like  a  fountain,  thus  appearing  to  convert  a  large 
extent  of  the  water  in  which  they  carry  on  their 
pranks  into  a  sort  of  whirlpool.  Notwithstanding 
their  immense  weight  they  swim  with  incredible 
facility,  and  I  have  been  assured  that  when  these 
animals  cross  the  river  singly,  the  water  remains 
frequently  undisturbed,  so  that  the  unwieldy  mass 
appears  to  be  moved  by  some  invisible  power. 
Whilst  on  their  journey,  the  emigrants  observe 
the  strictest  order ;  their  leader,  a  female,  turns 


SIIILLUK,    NUBA,   TAKALE,   ETC.  153 

frequently  round  and  misus  a  cry  if  an  elephant 
stray,  to  recall  him  to  the  ranks  again.  A  herd 
frequently  takes  its  route  directly  through  a  vil- 
lage, without  doing  the  slightest  injury  to  the  huts, 
or  to  the  inhabitants ;  singly  they  never  do  any  harm. 
Several  of  these  elephants  always  remain  behind 
their  companions  ;  for  they  feel  a  presentiment  of 
their  approaching  end,  and  then  choose  a  solitary 
valley  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  river,  where 
they  patiently  await  their  death,  which  generally 
takes  place  before  the  large  herds  return  from 
their  migrations.  No  one  ever  disturbs  them,  for 
death  generally  overtakes  them  in  a  short  time,  and 
then  they  fall  a  certain  prey  to  the  negroes.  Hunting 
expeditions  are,  indeed,  occasionally  instituted  against 
these  animals,  but  only  whilst  they  are  to  be  met  with 
singly,  and  dispersed  over  the  country ;  for  when 
they  have  collected  together  in  herd  it  would  be 
attended  with  great  danger  to  attack  them.  Ivory 
is  the  only  commodity  of  trade  in  these  regions. 

Beside  ivory,  a  small  quantity  of  gold-dust  is  to 
be  met  with,  among  some  few  of  the  Shilluks,  and 
yet  more  among  the  Jenky  ;  they  fetch  it  from  the 
mountains  of  the  Blue  River,  but  these  simple 
people  do  not  know  its  real  value,  and  trouble 
themselves  very  little  about  looking  after  it.  The 
Djelabi  transact  the  most  business  with  them.  The 
present  Sultan  of  the  Shilluks  is  named  Denap ; 
his  wealth  OMM>IS  in  elephants'  tusks.  I  was  told 
bv  several  Djelabi  that  there  exited  an  animal  in 


154  TRIBES  BORDERING   ON   KORDOFAN, 

the  country  of  the  Shilluks,  totally  unknown  in 
Kordofan  and  Sennaar.  The  natives  call  it  denk ; 
it  is  said  to  be  rather  larger  than  a  rat,  of  an  ash- 
grey  colour,  and  to  resemble  a  monkey  in  shape; 
the  fore  and  hind  paws,  they  say,  are  like  the  hands 
and  feet  of  man ;  the  tail  is  very  short.  This  ani- 
mal feeds  on  gum,  climbs  the  trees,  but  cannot 
jump  from  branch  to  branch  like  the  monkey. 
There  are  no  camels  in  the  country,  on  account  of 
that  destructive  fly  called  here  Yohara. 

At  a  distance  of  about  twenty  or  thirty  hours' 
march  southward  and  to  the  south-east  of  Lobeid,  the 
free  negroes  live,  who  are  in  part  tributary  to  Kor- 
dofan ;  the  tribute,  however,  is  always  levied  by  force 
from  these  tribes.  They  resemble  each  other  per- 
fectly in  stature  and  features,  but  converse  in  different 
languages — thus,  in  one  day's  march,  many  different 
dialects  and  languages  may  be  heard  spoken :  it 
would  appear,  however,  that  the  language  of  the 
Takale,  Kodero,  and  Schabun  are  of  the  same  root. 
The  largest  tribe  with  which  I  am  acquainted  calls 
itself  Nuba,  and  occupies  a  large  extent  of  the 
mountainous  tract.  The  Nuba  are  republicans,  and 
recognise  no  superior  authority  beyond  their  parti- 
cular sheikh,  who,  however,  plays  a  passive  part  only, 
for  his  jurisdiction  does  not  extend  beyond  the  con- 
fines of  one  village.  Even  one  of  these  chiefs,  if 
obnoxious  to  the  greater  number,  is  immediately 
deprived  of  his  dignity,  and  superseded  by  another 
sheikh,  elected  by  a  majority  of  votes.  It  is  for  this 


SIIILLUK,   NUBA,  TAKALE,   ETC.  155 

same  reason,  that  a  magistrate  of  this  description  dare 
not  enforce  his  decisions :  thus  the  opinion  of  the 
multitude  prevails.  It  has  frequently  happened  that 
a  sheikh,  who  had  acquired  authority  among  this 
tribe  by  his  personal  advantages,  or  by  his  wealth, 
has  at  last  had  the  intention  of  usurping  the  au- 
thority of  sultan  or  monarch  of  all  the  Nuba ;  but 
this  attempt  has  never  yet  succeeded,  for  the  unfor- 
tunate usurper  was  immediately  put  to  death  as  soon 
as  the  Nuba  negroes  had  the  slightest  suspicion  of 
this  project.  Their  sheikhs,  therefore,  are  mere 
ciphers,  only  to  be  tolerated  as  long  as  they  do  not 
interfere  with  the  freedom  and  privileges  of  the  sub- 
ject. 

All  the  negro  tribes  inhabiting  the  country,  ex- 
tending to  about  the  tenth  degree  of  latitude,  are 
easily  to  be  distinguished  from  each  other,  some  by 
their  ear-rings  and  nose-rings,  some  again  by  the 
loss  of  the  lower  incisor  teeth,  others  by  a  hole  in 
the  under  lip,  into  which  they  insert  the  tooth  of 
soim*  animal,  which  adheres  in  the  aperture  ;  others, 
again,  are  tattooed  about  the  face.  These  negroes 
have  all  perfectly  woolly  hair,  which  covers  the  head 
but  sparingly ;  thick  everted  lips,  and  small  com- 
pressed noses.  Many  of  them  are  less  black  than 
the  negroes  inhabiting  the  southern  regions,  have 
not  the  high  projecting  cheek-bones,  and  are,  on  an  - 
average,  a  well-made  race  of  men.  The  girls  have 
fine  hi-ea^N,  convex  from  below  upwards,  and  supe- 
riorly rather  c<>nca\<-. 


156  TRIBES   BORDERING   ON    KORDOFAN, 

These  Nuba  reside  in  villages,  which  they  build 
chiefly  in  the  most  inaccessible  parts  of  the  moun- 
tains, and  put  in  the  best  possible  state  of  defence. 
Their  dwellings  are  made  of  straw,  hedged  in  with 
thorns,  and  some  of  the  houses  are  built  of  stone.  I 
must,  however,  observe,  that  those  tribes  which  are 
under  monarchic  government  live  more  peaceably 
than  the  republicans,  who  frequently  go  to  war  for 
trifles,  when  the  stronger  tribes  make  prisoners  of 
the  weaker,  and  sell  them  as  slaves. 

The  climate  of  these  districts  is  far  more  healthy 
than  that  of  Kordofan.  The  dress  of  the  natives  is 
very  simple.  Only  the  grown-up  people  wear  a 
piece  of  cotton  stuff;  the  majority  wear  only  a  strip 
about  as  broad  as  the  hand,  passing  a  cord  round 
their  hips,  with  which  they  fasten  it  to  the  abdo- 
men and  back.  In  addition  to  this  simple  hip-cloth, 
they  decorate  themselves  with  ear-rings  of  brass  or 
iron  wire,  and  the  women  wTear  necklaces  of  Bohemian 
and  Venetian  glass  beads.  Some  of  the  men  wrear 
a  ribbon,  about  an  ell  in  length,  round  their  loins.  * 
This  ornament  costs  immense  patience  and  no  less 
trouble  in  its  manufacture  :  it  consists  of  a  number 
of  small  buttons  of  about  the  size  of  a  shirt-button, 
made  of  the  shell  of  the  ostrich's  egg,  with  a  perforation 
in  the  centre,  through  which  a  string  is  passed,  con- 
necting them  together.  I  took  the  trouble  of  count- 
ing the  single  buttons  of  one  of  these  ribbons  in  my 

*  Hie  cinctus  pudenda  tegit. 


SIIILLUK,   NUBA,   TAKALE,   ETC.  157 

possession,  and  found  a  total  number  of  six  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  sixty.  Above  and  below  they  are 
frequently  ornamented  with  small  iron  pins  and  glass 
beads.  If  we  consider  that  these  men  possess  no 
sharp  cutting  instruments  to  facilitate  their  labour, 
wo  may  readily  understand  that  great  patience  is 
required  in  the  manufacture  of  one  of  these  girdles. 
On  some  of  the  hills  of  the  Nuba  mountains  the 
women  dye  their  hair  of  a  red  colour,  by  reducing  a 
species  of  red  sandstone  to  a  fine  powder,  which  they 
mix  with  butter,  and  thus  form  a  pomatum,  with 
which  they  anoint  their  curls ;  it  generally  remains 
for  a  few  days  adherent  to  the  hair,  and  gives  them 
no  very  pleasing  appearance.  Incisions  are  made 
into  the  cheeks,  arms,  breasts,  and  bodies  of  the 
girls,  by  way  of  ornament.  The  household  furniture 
of  the  Nuba  negroes  is  very  mean ;  it  consists  merely 
of  a  few  pots,  for  water,  for  merissa  and  for  cooking; 
and  of  a  few  drinking  cups,  made  of  gourds  :  the  lat- 
ter filled  with  water,  serve  the  women  in  lieu  of 
mirrors,  which  the  girls  frequently  resort  to  during 
the  day. 

The  arms  of  the  men,  which  they  always  earn- 
about  them,  and  scarcely  ever  lay  aside,  are 
a  shield,  spears  with  iron  or  wooden  points,  the 
latter  always  poisoned  ;  a  small  double-edged  knife ; 
and  a  kind  of  scythe,  consisting  of  a  cutting  Made, 
which  is  at  first  straight,  but  then  cordiform  in  its 
curve,  and  about  two  feet  in  length.  This  weapon 
they  denominate  a  TurhatsHi.  and  use  it  in  battle 


158  TRIBES   BORDERING   ON   KORDOFAN, 

for  warding  off  sabre-cuts,  and  throw  it  also  at  the 
feet  of  the  enemy  in  an  attack. 

Their  favourite  occupation  is  tobacco  smoking  : 
they  are,  indeed,  never  to  be  met  during  the  whole 
day  without  a  pipe  in  their  mouths.  The  young  girls 
seldom  smoke,  but  the  old  women  never  put  their 
pipes  aside  for  one  moment ;  and  when  several  of 
them  squat  down  together,  and  form,  as  in  other 
places,  a  clique  for  scandal,  you  might  imagine  your- 
self to  be  in  a  chimney.  The  bowls  of  the  tobacco- 
pipes  of  these  Nuba  negroes  are  made  of  clay  or  wood, 
and  they  give  them  a  very  pleasing  appearance. 
The  pipe  is  manufactured  of  wood,  and  is  of  about  the 
thickness  of  a  finger— ^-into  this  they  insert  a  thin  iron 
tube,  three  inches  in  length,  which  serves  the  pur- 
pose of  a  mouth-piece.  They  grow  their  own  to- 
bacco— it  resembles  that  of  Kordofan,  has  a  small 
leaf,  and  thick  stalk.  It  is  very  probable  that  the 
negroes  have  smoked  from  time  immemorial,  and 
that  tobacco,  therefore,  does  not  come  originally 
from  America  alone. 

The  food  of  the  Nuba  negroes  is  far  better  than 
that  of  the  natives  of  Kordofan,  for  on  many  of  the 
hills  there  is  an  abundance  of  oxen,  goats,  sheep, 
pigs,  fowls,  butter,  and  honey.  Amongst  their 
favourite  dishes  rats  must  be  classed,  which  are  consi- 
dered a  great  delicacy  on  several  of  the  hills.  The 
species  eaten  is  the  field  rat,  and  has  not  the  same  dis- 
gusting appearance  as  that  of  Europe.  It  is  roasted 
here  on  a  spit  in  its  skin,  and  is  subsequently  flayed. 


SHILLUK,   NUBA,   TAKALE,   ETC.  159 

Besides  the  above-mentioned  animals,  game,  which 
i-  met  with  in  abundance  on  their  hills,  serves  as  an 
article  of  food,  and  they  are  very  expert  in  catch- 
ing young  giraffes,  ostriches,  hares,  and  various  kinds 
of  antelopes,  in  snares,  for  their  own  consumption. 
Bread  forms  one  of  their  chief  wants,  they,  there- 
fore, pay  great  attention  to  agriculture.  It  fre- 
quently happens  that  a  drought  destroys  the  harvest, 
or  that  it  is  eaten  up  by  the  locusts,  so  common  in 
these  regions,  or,  what  is  more  likely  still,  that  it  falls 
a  prey  to  the  predatory  Turks,  when  a  great  dearth  of 
bread,  which  is  of  the  most  frightful  consequence,  is 
generally  the  result;  instances  are  then  known  of 
parents  selling  their  children  for  a  few  handfulls  of 
dockn.  I  myself  saw  a  girl  whom  a  Djelabi  had 
bought  for  fifty  handfulls  of  grain.  A  brother  will, 
on  these  occasions,  sell  his  sister  to  obtain  a  little 
flour,  and  thus  to  supply  himself  and  his  people  with 
bread  for  a  few  days.  One  Djelabi  received  eight 
oxen  for* a  camel-load  of  dockn,  consisting  of  about 
three  cantars ;  and  another  merchant  bought  eight 
children  at  the  same  price.  In  these  calamitous 
times,  the  price  of  a  man,  therefore,  is  equal  to  that 
of  a  beast.  It  is  very  astonishing  that  a  famine 
should  ever  exist  with  the  abundance  of  animal  food 
they  possess ;  but  it  is  nevertheless  certain  that,  dur- 
ing scarcity  of  corn,  these  negroes  will  despise  every 
other  food,  and  rather  suffer  every  species  of  misery. 
Whenever  this  famine  exists,  the  consequences  are 
always  very  tearful ;  for  the  Nuba  negroes  then  sally 


160  TRIBES   BORDERING   ON    KORDOFAN, 

forth  in  quest  of  prey  into  the  neighbouring  villages, 
where  they  plunder  and  steal  everything  they  can 
lay  their  hands  upon.  These  depredations  give  rise 
to  many  quarrels,  which  always  lead  to  a  war,  and 
the  conflict  lasts  until  the  weaker  party  is  overcome, 
when  they  are  all  sold  by  the  conquerors  as  slaves. 

The  chief  exports  of  the  Nuba  consist  in  gum, 
ostrich  feathers,  tamarinds,  honey,  and  slaves,  with 
all  of  which  they  carry  on  a  trade  by  barter.  No 
one  troubles  himself  about  the  gum  since  Mehemed 
Ali  has  monopolized  the  trade,  for  the  freight  to 
Kordofan  would  cost  double  the  amount  which  he 
pays  for  it;  hence  thousands  of  cantari  of  gum, 
which  might  afford  a  maintenance  to  as  many  hun- 
dreds of  families,  are  annually  allowed  to  rot.  The 
Nuba  negroes  do  not  know  the  value  of  money,  and 
always  accept  such  goods  as  they  reckon  among 
their  wants  for  their  commodities.  The  Djelabi 
generally  import  cottons,  brass,  and  iron  wire,  glass 
beads,  counters,  &c.,  and  exchange  them  for  the 
articles  above  specified.  The  barter  among  them- 
selves consists  in  tobacco,  salt,  and  small  shells.  In 
the  neighbourhood  of  Schabun  the  negroes  collect 
gold,  which  they  find  in  the  mountain  torrents,  and 
keep  in  the  quills  of  large  birds  of  prey ;  but  they 
attach  no  great  importance  to  this  metal,  for  they  do 
not  know  its  value.  The  Dongolavi  only,  who  have 
immigrated  into  these  regions,  since  time  immemo- 
rial, for  the  purpose  of  trading,  and  have  become 
residents  there,  draw  considerable  profit  from  that 


SIIILLUK,   NUBA,   TAKELE,   ETC.  1(11 

source.  This  gold  is  met  with  in  commerce  in 
Kordofan  in  quills;  it  is  frequently  preferred  to 
ready  money,  and  is  also  cast  into  rings.  It  would 
appear  that  the  negroes  at  Shabun  possess  no  fire- 
proof crucibles  to  melt  the  metal,  as  is  the  case  with 
the  other  negroes  and  Galla  tribes.  The  Dongolavis 
have  in  several  places  intermarried  with  negro  girls, 
whence  a  mixed  language,  as  I  am  told,  has  ori- 
ginated :  they,  however,  preserve  the  characteristics 
of  the  father,  and  a  Dongolavi,  although  born  of 
a  negro  mother,  may  be  immediately  recognized. 

The  Nuba  negroes  are  for  the  most  part  heathens, 
and  only  very  few  of  them  profess  the  Mahommedan 
faith.  Their  ideas  of  religion,  in  general,  are  very 
limited,  and  they  observe  scarcely  any  ceremonies  of 
worship.  They  believe,  indeed,  in  a  superior  being, 
but  it  ranks  below  the  moon,  and  hence  it  comes 
that  the  end  of  the  lunar  month  is  especially  kept 
holy.  Many  of  them  again  imagine  that  the  sun, 
which  produces  the  rain,  is  the  superior  being,  be- 
cause nothing  can  grow  without  rain.  They  can  ac- 
curately determine  the  period  when  the  rainy  season 
will  begin,  and  count  from  the  commencement  of 
cadi  month.  They  are  not  idolators,  but  are  by  no 
means  free  from  superstition,  for  before  entering 
upon  any  undertaking  or  business,  they  wait  for 
certain  omina,  according  to  which  they  regulate 
their  actions.  If,  for  example,  an  owl  perch  upon 
a  house  in  the  night  and  utter  its  melancholy 
note,  they  consider  it  a  certain  sign  that  one  of  the 

M 


162  TRIBES   BORDERING   ON   KORDOFAN, 

inhabitants  will  shortly  die.  A  raven  makes  a  still 
stronger  impression  upon  these  simple  beings ;  should 
it,  as  of  course  frequently  occurs,  happen  to  fly  into 
a  village  and  settle  on  a  tree  or  house,  the  whole 
place  is  then  in  consternation,  all  cheerfulness  dis- 
appears, song  and  music  cease  to  be  heard,  and  even 
dancing  is  put  a  stop  to  on  this  woful  day,  for  the 
arrival  of  a  raven  is  a  sure  sign  to  them,  that  the 
Turks  are  coming  to  plunder  them,  or  even  to  carry 
them  off  as  slaves.  They  believe  firmly  in  ghosts. 
On  some  of  the  hills  they  celebrate  the  anniversary 
of  their  dead,  and  indeed,  at  a  certain  time,  annu- 
ally. A  large  fire  is  on  this  occasion  kindled  in  an 
open  space,  in  the  evening,  whence  every  man  takes  a 
burning  branch  in  his  hand  as  a  torch,  and  thus  the 
procession  moves  first  to  the  place  of  burial,  and  then 
to  those  houses  in  which  some  person  had  died  during 
the  preceding  year.  A  song  is  now  commenced  in 
honour  of  the  dead,  at  the  conclusion  of  which,  they 
toss  their  burning  branches  into  the  air,  much  after 
the  same  fashion  in  which  midsummer  is  celebrated 
in  certain  countries  of  Europe.*  A  festival  is  kept 
when  the  first  rain  falls,  and  again  at  the  termina- 
tion of  the  harvest.  To  celebrate  the  latter  feast, 
everything  the  house  affords  which  could  enliven 

*  A  custom  more  especially  prevalent  in  the  Harz  mountains  on 
the  evening  of  1st  of  May,  the  night  of  Walpurgis,  when  fires 
are  lighted  on  the  hills,  and  torches  tossed  into  the  air,  to  drive 
away  the  witches,  who  are  supposed  on  this  occasion  to  be  making 
holiday.  This  custom  is  alluded  to  in  Goethe's  Faust. — TR. 


SIIILLUK,  NUBA,  TAKELE,  ETC.  103 

the  festive  scene   is   contributed,    and  merissa,    of 
course,  flows  in  abundance.     Their  favourite  amuse- 
in  cuts  are  singing  and  dancing,  every  one  who  is  in 
any  way  capable  of  exercise,  dances,  both  men  and 
women,  and  frequently  even  the  aged  and  infirm, 
join  in ;  no  day  in  fact  passes,  on  which  the  whole 
population  of  the  village  do  not  collect  in  an  open 
space  after  sunset  and  pass  their  time  in  dancing. 
The  accompaniment  consists  in  singing,  in  beating 
time  with  their  hands  to  the  sounds  of  a  drum,  and 
the  tones  of  a  fife  are  frequently  also  added.     The 
young  girls  more  especially  may  be  heard  singing  all 
day  long,  for  they  never  perform  any  office  be   it 
ever  so  trivial,  without  the  accompaniment  of  the 
voice.     As  soon  as  the  sun  disappears  behind  the 
hills,  large  fires  are  lighted  in  all  the  villages,  and 
dancing  begins ;  whilst  songs  are  re-echoed  from  hill 
to  hill,  producing  the    effect   of  a   kind   of  vocal 
response  or  salutation. 

These  Nuba  are  of  a  more  amiable  disposition 
tli an  might  be  expected  of  a  people  in  a  state  of 
semi-barbarity,  and  if  they  be  only  convinced  that 
a  traveller  has  no  intention  of  doing  them  harm,  he 
may  make  sure  of  the  most  hospitable  reception, 
notwithstanding  the  ill-treatment  and  oppression 
they  occasionally  suffer  from  the  neighbouring 
Turks,  which  has  imbued  them  with  an  almost 
incontrovertible  hatred  towards  all  white  men. 
The  slave  merchants  greatly  contribute  to  keep  up 
this  aversion  by  assuring  the  negroes,  that  all  the 

M  2 


\ 


164          TRIBES    BORDERING    ON    KORDOFAN, 

captives  who  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  white  men  are 
fattened  in  their  country  for  slaughter.     When  the 
Djelabi   have    reached    Kordofan   and    set    out    on 
their  journey  to  Cairo,  they  make  the  poor  slaves 
understand    that    those    white   men   who,   like  the 
Arabs  and  Turks,  profess  the  true  faith,  do  not  eat 
the  flesh  of  the  negroes;  but  that  the  Giaours,  or 
unbelievers,    by   which    denomination    they   distin- 
guish   the    Franks,   follow  that   barbarous   custom. 
This  will  account  for  the  circumstance  of  slaves  so 
frequently  beginning  to   cry  when  purchased  by  a 
Frank  at  Cairo,  they  are,  in  fact,  seized  with  the  fear 
of  being  led  to  the  shambles.     A  Nuba  negro,  who 
spoke  Arabic  well,  said  to  me  once  very  coolly : 
"  We  black   men   are  far  better   than   you  white 
men,  for  when  our  children  come  into  your  coun- 
try  you  slaughter  them;    we   could  do   the    same 
with    you,  but  we   are   charitable  and  do  not  act 
thus,  therefore   we   are   better   than   you."     With 
kindness  every  thing  may  be  obtained  from  these 
children   of  nature,  whilst  harshness    and    severity 
produce  the  opposite  effect;  for  as   soon   as   they 
perceive  that  force  is  about  to  be  employed,  they 
become  passionate  and  malicious  and  obstinate  to  a 
degree,  for  they  are  children  of  freedom,  and  will 
rather    forfeit   their  lives    than    tolerate    coercion. 
In  requiring  a  service  of  them  it  is  necessary  to 
make  considerate  representations  to  them,   and  to 
use    the  utmost  caution  to  keep  them  in  a  good 
humour,  for  in  the  contrary  case  evil  consequences 


SIIILLUK,  NUBA,  TAKELE,  ETC.  165 

are  alone  to  be  expected;  they  will,  indeed,  rather 
suller  deatli  than  allow  themselves  to  be  forced  bv 
ill-treatment  to  the  performance  of  even  the  most 
trivial  office. 

Polygamy  is  not  a  general  custom,  each  man 
takes  to  himself  only  one  or  two  women;  the 
sheikhs  alone  have  several  wives.  When  a  man  is 
about  to  lead  a  girl  away  as  his  wife,  he  treats  first 
with  the  father  concerning  the  price  at  which  he  will 
deliver  her  up.  The  amount  of  course  varies  much, 
and  depends  on  the  youth,  beauty,  and  other  advan- 
tageous qualifications  of  the  chosen  bride.  The 
dowry  consists  generally  in  a  certain  number  of 
cows,  goats,  or  sheep,  which  become  the  personal 
property  of  the  newly-married  woman.  As  soon  as 
the  agreement  and  business  transactions  are  settled, 
the  bridegroom  proceeds,  accompanied  by  all  the 
young  men  in  the  village,  to  the  hut  of  his  selected 
wife,  who  is  delivered  by  the  mother  and  nearest 
relations,  with  some  simple  ceremonies,  to  the  bride- 
groom ;  and  he  now  leads  her  with  song,  drums,  and 
fifes,  into  his  own  hut,  where  a  feast  is  prepared  for 
all  his  guests.  In  conclusion  there  is  a  ball  at  which 
all  as>ist,  and  thus  the  marriage  festivities  termi- 
nate. Tn  their  family  circles  these  negroes  live  very 
peaceably,  and  if  a  case  ever  occur  that  a  husband 
for  any  reason  separate  from  his  wife,  she  goes  back 
to  her  parents,  keeps  her  marriage  portion,  and  takes 
every  thing  she  has  received  from  her  husband  away 
with  her. 


166  TRIBES    BORDERING    ON    KORUOFAN, 

Their  agricultural  pursuits  are  very  profitable  to 
them,  and  require  very  little  labour,  as  the  soil  is 
uncommonly  fertile ;  hence  their  occupations  in 
the  fields  during  the  time  of  sowing  and  of  the 
harvest  are  terminated  in  an  incredibly  short  space 
of  time,  and  they  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  rake  up 
the  weeds  with  the  hasseiaseh,  in  the  intermediate 
space  between  the  two  former  seasons.  After  the 
first  fall  of  rain  they  hasten  to  the  fields  and  plant 
the  dockn;  this  is  done  in  the  same  manner  as 
in  Kordofan,  and  will  be  explained  hereafter  in  the 
twelfth  chapter.  Tobacco  is  largely  cultivated,  for 
they  are  inordinately  addicted  to  smoking.  When 
the  plant  has  arrived  at  its  full  growth  the  leaves 
are  gathered  and  dried,  and  after  having  been  sub- 
jected to  a  process  of  damping,  are  formed  into  the 
shape  of  a  cake.  When  the  negroes  are  about  to 
smoke  they  break  off  a  piece  of  the  size  required, 
rub  it  to  powder  between  their  hands,  and  fill  their 
pipes.  Their  tobacco  is  very  potent,  so  that  an  Euro- 
pean is,  in  fact,  obliged  to  soak  it  in  water  for 
twenty-four  hours  before  he  can  use  it  to  render  it 
more  mild ;  and  even  then  he  will  find  it  too  acrid, 
and  it  almost  amounts  to  an  impossibility  to  smoke 
two  of  their  short  pipes  successively.  They  barter 
away  this  product.  The  whole  of  their  husbandry 
is  comprised  in  the  cultivation  of  these  two  articles, 
and  in  the  interval  between  the  sowing  season  and 
the  harvest  their  occupation  consists  merely  in  rear- 
ing cattle,  in  hunting,  and  throwing  spears. 


SIIILLUK,    NUBA,    TAKELE,  ETC.  107 

The  business  attended  with  the  greatest  trouble 
to  them  is  the  collection  of  honey,  for  though 
they  are  in  a  state  of  nudity  and  totally  un- 
covered, they  use  no  means  of  defence  against 
the  sting  of  the  angry  bees.  In  taking  a  hive, 
therefore,  they  must  endeavour  to  drive  the  bees 
away  as  far  as  this  is  practicable  with  branches  of 
trees,  before  they  can  get  at  their  produce;  but 
notwithstanding  these  and  other  precautionary  mea- 
sures, the  little  animals,  infuriated  at  the  invasion 
of  their  peaceful  dwellings,  generally  beset  the 
uninvited  guest  in  swarms,  and  vent  the  whole 
force  of  their  anger  on  him ;  the  intruder  has  no 
alternative  but  to  throw  himself  on  the  ground  and 
writhe  in  the  sand,  but  the  effects  of  the  punish- 
ment inflicted  are  always  severely  felt  for  several 
hours  afterwards. 

The  military  exercise  of  the  Nubas  consists  chiefly 
in  throwing  spears,  and  covering  the  body  with  the 
shield  in  defence.  For  this  practice  they  make  use 
of  the  stalks  of  the  dockn,  which  they  throw  at  each 
other  with  much  accuracy,  seldom  or  never  missing 
their  aim  ;  but  they  are,  on  the  other  hand,  so  well 
veised  in  the  use  of  their  shields  that  they  ge- 
nerally ward  off  the  missile  and  receive  the  blow 
on  it,  or  rolling  themselves  almost  into  the  form 
of  a  ball,  cover  the  whole  body  with  their  shields. 
Their  attacks  are  always  attended  with  a  fright- 
ful noises  augmented  by  the  shrieks  of  the  women 
in  the  back  ground,  and  follow  with  such  rapidity 


1G8  TRIBES   BORDERING   ON   KORDOFAN, 

that  the  party  attacked  has  but  little  time  for  con- 
sideration, or  for  placing  himself  on  his  guard.  If 
the  first  shock,  however,  be  well  sustained,  and  a 
bold  front  be  offered,  they  retreat  as  rapidly  as  they 
advanced,  and  do  not  so  soon  again  venture  on  a 
second  charge,  but  confine  themselves  to  skirmish- 
ing. Their  battles  amongst  each  other  are  always 
terrific,  nor  do  they  terminate  until  the  one  or  other 
party  is  brought  to  subjection,  whereupon  the  pri- 
soners are  all  sold  as  slaves.  But  these  Nuba  negroes 
have,  in  addition  to  their  own  tribes,  two  classes  of 
far  more  dreaded  enemies,  namely,  the  Turks  and 
the  Bakkara;  the  former  take  them  away  by  force 
as  slaves,  and  the  latter  by  stratagem  ;  they  arc', 
therefore,  continually  prepared  for  an  attack,  and 
keep  up  their  watchfires  all  night  long,  to  avoid 
being  thrown  into  confusion  during  darkness. 

Their  fires  even  are  frequently  a  source  of  annoy- 
ance and  trouble  to  them,  for  as  they  possess  no 
means  of  generating  this  element,  they  must  be 
very  careful  never  to  allow  it  to  go  out.  In  case's 
of  this  disastrous  occurrence,  or  when  engaged  in 
hunting,  or  in  other  occupations,  at  a  great  distance 
from  their  villages,  they  resort  to  the  following  pri- 
mitive method  for  striking  a  light.  They  take  two 
dry  pieces  of  wood,  in  the  one  of  which  they  cut  a 
hole  \\ith  a  knife,  or  sharp-pointed  stone,  barely 
large  enough  to  admit  the  other:  they  then  lay  the 
former  on  the  ground,  holding  it  firmly  in  that  peti- 
tion \\ith  their  feet,  lit  the  second  piece  into  the 


MHLIJK,  NUBA,  TAKELE,  ETC. 

perforation,  and  rub  the  two  toother  witjl  (>v 
ordinary  rapidity,  throwing  a  few  grains  of  sind 
i-ionallv  into  the  hole  to  augment  the  friction. 
This  is  a  labour  demanding  great  exertion,  and 
two  persons  are  always  necessary  for  its  perform- 
ance. A  handfull  of  dry  grass,  or  an  old  piece  of 
cotton  rag.  i-  placed  beneath  the  wood  to  catch  the 
spark*,  and  glows  as  soon  as  the  wood  i<  converted 
into  coal.  Dried  grass  and  sticks  are  now  added, 
when  the  combustible  materials  are  fanned  into  a 
living  flame.  In  Kordofan  the  same  custom  prevail-. 
If  all  the  fires  be  extinguished  in  a  small  village 
during  the  rainy  season,  the  inhabitants  are  inde.-d 
put  to  the  greatest  enibarras>ment.  • -p. -chilly  wl. 
the  distance  to  the  nearest  village  is  great,  because 
all  the  grass  and  wood  is  then  very  wet.  A  Shilluk 
told  me  that  in  his  village,  which  was  situated  at  a 
distance  of  ten  hours'  march  from  any  other  in- 
habited -pot.  they  wen.-  once  not  aide  to  produce  a 
tin-  during  twenty  days.  The  inhabitants  had  made 
frequent  attempts  to  transport  a  burning  branch 
from  the  nean-t  locality,  and  had  lighted  more  than 
fifty  fires  in  the  intervening  <pace,  in  order  to  bring 
it  gradually  into  their  own  village;  but  the  sho\ 
had,  on  four  different  occasions,  frustrated  their 
endeavours  when  they  were  on  the  point  of  succeed- 
ing. Soft  wnod  !-  usrle^  for  procuring  a  light,  and 
there  was  im  hard  wood  in  that  neighbourhood.  I 
was  mvsrlf  mee  put  to  a  very  great  incmi v.-niYnr.- 
whiNt  at  L obi-id  for  want  of  a  Hint,  for  there 


170  TRIBES   BORDERING   ON   KQRDOFAN, 

not  one  to  be  purchased  in  the  bazaar  at  any  price ; 
my  servant,  however,  soon  invented  a  remedy :  he 
went  up  to  a  soldier,  a  Shilluk  of  course,  and 
bought  the  flint  of  his  musket,  which  he  unscrewed 
whilst  on  duty,  and  delivered  at  the  high  price  of 
four-pence  halfpenny. 

The  dominions  of  Takele  are  situated  at  a  distance 
of  about  five  days'  journey  to  the  south-east  of  Kor- 
dofan ;  they  are  governed  by  a  sultan,  who  is  an 
absolute  monarch,  and  has  his  residence  at  Tassin. 

This  sultan,  and  the  greater  part  of  his  subjects, 
are  of  the  Mahommedan  persuasion.  In  former 
times,  when  Kordofan  and  all  these  realms  were 
subject  to  Darfour,  Takele  paid  tribute  to  that  go- 
vernment, and  even  after  Mehemed  Ali  had  taken 
possession  of  Kordofan,  sword  in  hand,  the  fine 
was  annually  paid,  it  being  taken  for  granted  that 
the  conquerors  should  enjoy  the  same  rights  as  the 
former  administration.  But  when  the  Turks,  not  con- 
tented with  the  tribute,  subsequently  sought  to  put 
their  golden  rule  of  raising  the  taxation  into  prac- 
tice, looking  upon  everything  in  the  country  as  their 
own  property,  the  Sultan  of  Takele  refused  to  sub- 
mit, and  opposed  their  claims  in  person  with  an 
armed  force.  Mehemed  Ali  undertook  three  inef- 
fective campaigns  against  this  country,  and  was  at 
last  obliged  to  give  up  the  project,  after  having  lost 
more  than  half  of  the  forces  employed  in  the  expe- 
dition. Takele  possesses  many  irregular  troops, 
which  proved  very  galling  to  the  Egyptians ;  for  they 


SIIILLUK,   NUBA,   TAKELE,   ETC.  171 

always  took  the  unsuspecting  Turks  by*  surpri 
and,  after  having  put  them  to  the  rout,  fled  again 
into  their  hills,  where  the  former  dare  not  venture 
to  pursue  them.  The  commander-in-chief  of  the 
Egyptian  forces  revenged  himself  by  destroying  all 
the  crops  which  happened  to  be  standing  at  the 
time,  by  fire,  and  thus  the  war  terminated ;  for 
when  the  Turks  saw  that  nothing  was  to  be  gained 
by  plunder  they  retreated,  and  no  attack  has  since 
that  period  been  made  upon  Takele. 

The  Djelabi,  from  Lobeid  and  Bara,  are  allowed 
to  carry  on  their  trade  with  the  country  without 
interruption,  as  are  also  those  of  Takele  with  Kor- 
dofan ;  for  several  Dongolavi  from  Kordofan  have 
settled  in  this  country,  as  it  affords  them  many  ad- 
vantages. Takele  is  hilly  in  its  whole  extent,  and 
is  said  to  be  traversed  by  a  chain  of  mountains,  two 
full  days'  journey  in  length,  considered  there  as  one 
hill.  The  natives  of  Takele,  in  forming  an  estimate 
of  the  magnitude  of  their  dominions,  generally  reckon 
by  the  number  of  hills  which  are  inhabited;  thus 
they  say  that  Takele  has  ninety-nine  inhabited 
hills,  and  that  the  Nubas  have  one  hill  more4,  and 
reckon  one  hundred;  hence  we  may  conclude  that 
Nuba  is  larger  than  Takele.  These  numerals,  how- 
ever, must  not  be  taken  literally,  for  they  denote 
every  1  Mi-ire  number,  if  it  exceed  thirty,  by  the  term 
ninety-nine  ;  and  say  (>'.//.),  instead  of  forty  or  eighty 
sheep,  ninety-nine  heads  of  cuttle.  I  have  unbelt' 
met  with  negroes  from  distant  part**.  who*e  whole 


172  TRIBES   BORDERING   ON    KORDOFAN, 

knowledge  of  arithmetic  was  limited  to  "  five," 
named  after  the  five  fingers ;  thus  the  thumb  was 
one,  the  forefinger  two,  the  middle-finger  three,  and 
so  forth.  A  question  put  to  men  of  this  limited 
knowledge,  entailing  -a  definite  number,  is  an  affair 
attended  with  great  difficulty,  and  it  is  indeed  im- 
possible to  obtain  a  satisfactory  answer. 

The  natives  of  this  country  are  far  more  indus- 
trious than  those  of  Kordofan,  and  pay  much  greater 
attention  to  agriculture,  and  the  cultivation  of  cot- 
ton, than  their  neighbours  ;  they  also  manufacture 
the  cotton  themselves  into  stuifs,  and  produce  other 
articles  of  commerce.  They  have  few,  but  very 
beautiful  horses;  and  a  man  must  be  a  bold  as 
well  as  an  excellent  rider  to  keep  his  seat  on  these 
spirited  animals,  which  the  natives  prize  very  highly, 
for  they  will  not  readily  part  with  them.  In  fact, 
an  opportunity  only  offers  itself  of  purchasing  one 
of  their  horses  when,  in  a  depredatory  invasion  by 
the  Bakkara,  or  in  a  conflict  with  their  neighbours, 
a  man  of  Takele  has  been  killed,  and  his  horse 
becomes  the  booty  of  the  conqueror.  I  believe 
that  the  pedigree  of  these  horses  must  be  sought 
in  Darfour.  These  negroes  hunt  elephants,  and 
carry  on  a  trade  in  ivory  with  Kordofan.  In  those 
parts  of  the  country  where  there  are  no  horses 
the  elephants  are  caught  in  pits,  but  where  the  in- 
habitants possess  horses  the  following  plan  is  pur- 
sued : — Two  men,  mounted  on  horseback,  go  hunt- 
ing together,  and  generally  pick  out  a  full-sized 


SHILLUK,   NUBA,   TAKELE,    ETC.  173 

elephant,  because  the  larger  animals  prove  the  more 
profitable.  When  they  have  discovered  an  elephant, 
one  man  rides  at  a  distance  of  about  a  hundred  paces 
in  front  of  him,  so  that  he  keeps  in  full  view  of  the 
beast.  The  other  rider  approaches  to  within  a  hun- 
dred paces  of  the  animal  from  behind,  dismounts 
from  his  horse,  —  for  he  is  sure  that  it  will  stand 
quietly, — stealthily  approaches  it  from  the  rear, 
and  with  one  cut  with  a  sharp  sabre,  severs  the 
back  sinews  of  its  heel-joint.  Infuriated  to  the 
utmost  by  the  violent  pain,  and  seeing  the  rider 
before  it,  the  animal  rushes  instantly  in  pursuit 
of  him,  whilst  the  man  who  inflicted  the  wound 
gains  time  to  vault  upon  his  horse,  and  make  off. 
The  elephant  cannot  follow  the  rider  far,  partly 
because  the  latter  has  the  advantage  of  a  start, — 
and  the  horse  is,  moreover,  fleeter  than  the  ele- 
phant,— partly  because  he  is,  in  a  certain  measure, 
lamed ;  thus  he  ultimately  treads  off  his  foot,  and 
sinks  exhausted  with  the  loss  of  blood,  an  easy  prey 
to  the  huntsman. 

As  fire-arms  are  not  yet  known  in  this  country, 
the  natives  slay  lions  in  the  following  manner: — 
They  trace  out  the  lair  where  one  of  these4  animals 
gem 'rally  takes  its  noonday  repose  ;  but  the  nature  of 
the  ground  must  be  such,  that  the  tree  under  which 
it  sleeps  is  isolated,  or  at  least  somewhat  distant 
from  the  other  trees.  If  the  ground  be  advan- 
tngrous,  the  negro  betakes  himself  to  the  scene 
of  action  four  hours  before  mid-day,  and  climbs 


174  TRIBES   BORDERING   ON   KORDOFAN, 

the  tree  opposite  to  that  under  which  the  animal 
takes  its  nap.  During  this  time  he  knows  the  lion 
to  be  out  in  search  of  prey,  and  is  sure  that  he 
will  return  to  indulge  in  his  siesta  when  the  heat 
increases,  between  ten  and  eleven  o'clock.  The 
lion  does  not  trouble  himself  about  the  business  of 
the  man  on  the  tree,  even  if  he  should  happen  to 
see  him ;  and  his  adversary  remains  perfectly  quiet 
till  between  twelve  and  one.  The  huntsman  is  fur- 
nished with  a  sackfull  of  small  stones,  and  a  few 
sharp  spears.  When  the  sand  on  the  ground  is  burn- 
ing hot,  so  that  animals  even  cannot  walk  about, 
the  hunter  begins  to  pelt  the  lion  with  stones, 
always  aiming  at  his  head,  and  the  negroes  are 
very  expert  marksmen.  The  proud  king  of  the 
beasts  utterly  disregards  the  first  three  or  four 
stones,  and  does  not  consider  it  even  worth  his 
while  to  rise ;  but  the  blows  upon  his  head  thicken- 
ing, and  being,  perhaps,  hit  in  the  eye,  the  audacity 
appears  too  great  to  be  borne  with  patience,  and  he 
sets  up  a  frightful  roar  as  a  signal  of  revenge. 
With  one  leap  he  is  at  the  foot  of  the  tree  on 
which  the  disturber  of  his  rest  is  perched,  but  re- 
ceives a  lance  in  his  body ;  his  roar  now  becomes 
more  terrific,  not  that  the  wound  is  so  irritating  to 
him  at  this  moment  as  the  burning  sand  painful 
to  his  feet,  and  he  retires  once  more  to  his 
lair.  Another  stone  hits  him,  he  becomes  furious, 
makes  a  second  charge  at  the  tree,  and  is  welcomed 
by  one,  two,  or  more  spears.  He  now  takes  to 


SITILLUK,    NUBA,   TAKELE,    ETC.  175 


flight,  yelling  and  howling  with  pain;  but  the 
of  blood  soon  exhausts  his  strength,  and  the  hunts- 
man, who  keeps  him  in  sight  from  the  tree,  has,  in 
a  very  short  time,  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  royal 
beast  stretch  its  carcase  on  the  plains. 

The  inhabitants  of  Takele  are  a  well  made  race 
of  men,  and  all  those  I  met  with  were  of  very 
pleasing  countenance.  Their  dress  is  like  that  of 
the  other  negroes,  the  more  opulent  only  wearing 
white  and  blue  shirts.  Their  habits  and  customs 
are  said  to  be  the  same  as  those  among  the  Nuba, 
some  few  Mahommedans  merely  forming  the  ex- 
ception. The  sultan  is  reported  to  be  an  exceed- 
ingly good  man,  and  all  those  who  have  the  honour 
of  his  acquaintance  speak  highly  in  his  favour; 
he  is,  indeed,  almost  adored  by  his  subjects,  none 
of  which  approach-  him,  otherwise  than  kneeling, 
and  murmuring  a  prayer  into  their  hands,  nor  do 
they  venture  to  rise,  or  to  sit  down,  before  the 
sultan  has  given  them  permission.  The  divan,  in 
which  he  holds  his  audience,  is  a  large  saloon 
built  of  stone,  decorated  with  swords,  spears,  and 
other  warlike  trophies,  eighteen,  or  twenty,  of 
his  body-guard  are  always  present,  they  sit,  armed 
with  spears,  cross-legged,  in  the  centre  of  the 
saloon,  and  form  a  kind  of  living  fence.  The 
sultan  proceeds  every  morning,  with  sunrise,  im- 
mediately after  prayers,  into  the  divan,  hears  all 
canoes  himself,  and  issues  his  decision  immediately. 
Me  is  fond  of  hunting,  and  of  his  women,  three 


176  TRIBES   BORDERING   ON   KORDOFAN, 

hundred  of  which  he  is  said  to  keep  in  his  harem, 
a  stone  building,  situate  on  the  summit  of  a  rock  at 
Tassin,  very  difficult  of  access,  which  has,  moreover, 
only  one  approach.  The  brother  of  the  Sultan  of 
Takele,  whom  a  Djelabi  of  my  acquaintance  brought 
to  my  house  at  Lobeid,  wore  merely  a  blue  shirt, 
and  sandals,  and  not  even  a  Tackeyeeh*  on  his 
head. 

It  was  formerly  my  intention  to  undertake  a 
journey  into  Takele,  as  no  European  has  ever  yet 
set  foot  into  that  country.  This  was  the  chief  rea- 
son why  I  sought  the  acquaintance  of  the  Prince  of 
Takele,  who  came  every  year  to  Lobeid.  He  visited 
me  daily  during  his  sojourn  in  the  capital,  gave  me 
every  information  respecting  his  country,  and  as- 
sured me  that  his  brother,  the  sultan,  would  with 
pleasure  receive  me  in  his  states,  where  I  should 
have  nothing  to  fear,  as  it  was  his  most  ardent  wish 
to  make  the  acquaintance  of  a  Frank.  The  go- 
vernor, and  Turkish  officers,  however,  dissuaded  me 
from  my  project,  assuring  me  that  I  should  be  ex- 
posed to  all  manner  of  dangers,  as  the  Turks  are 
hated  in  Takele,  and  every  white  man,  without  dis- 
tinction, is  considered  an  Osmanlee.  Hence,  I  was 
necessitated  to  relinquish  my  plan,  and  to  confine 
myself  to  the  information  I  received  from  this  prince, 
and  the  Djelabis,  who  had  travelled  in  the  country. 
I  have  since,  however,  convinced  myself  that  these 
apprehensions,  created  by  the  officiousness  of  others, 

*  A  white  cap,  worn  beneath  the  Tarboosh. 


SHILLUK,  NUBA,  TAKELE,  ETC.       177 

were  totally  unfounded,  and  that  an  European  might 
visit  Takele  without  any  danger,  through  the  inter- 
mediation of  the  brother  of  the  sultan,  or  a  Djelabi, 
by  merely  previously  forwarding,  through  one  of 
the  opportunities  named,  a  small  present  to  the 
sultan,  who  would  then  send  an  escort  to  the  bor- 
ders, under  which  the  journey  might  be  continued 
with  safety.  Above  all  things,  however,  it  would 
be  necessary  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  one  or 
the  other  of  the  persons  mentioned,  that  they  might 
become  security  that  the  traveller  was  a  Frank, 
and  not  a  Turkish  spy.  The  prince,  above  men- 
tioned, assured  me  that  his  brother  was  very 
anxious  to  receive  an  European  visitor,  for  the 
express  object  of  learning  something  from  him, 
and,  more  especially,  to  receive  instruction  in 
tactics.  This  offer  would  be  very  acceptable  to 
many  military  men  ;  for  I  am  convinced  that 
the  Sultan  of  Takele  would  treat  an  instructor  of 
this  description  very  well,  who  would,  moreover, 
have  the  opportunity  of  collecting  authentic  infor- 
mation respecting  the  country,  and,  probably,  also 
concerning  the  neighbouring  states.  The  prince, 
who  very  frequently  visited  me,  endeavoured  to 
persuade  me  in  every  possible  way  to  travel  with 
him  to  Takele;  and  I  had  already  overcome  all 
fears,  and  was  about  to  venture  on  the  journey, 
when  I  was  forced  by  circumstances  to  alter  my 
plans.  I  made  the  chief  a  present  of  a  tarboosh* 

*  A  red  cap,  with  a  silk  tassel. 

\ 


178  TRIBES   BORDERING   ON    KORDOFAN, 

some  time  before  his  departure,  which  he  wore  all 
the  time  he  passed  at  Lobeid ;  but  on  the  day  of 
his  departure  he  brought  it  back  to  me,  begging  me 
to  keep  it  for  him  until  he  returned,  as  he  dare  not 
wear  it  in  Takele,  because  his  brother,  the  sultan, 
had  none. 

At  the  head  of  the  irregular  troops  is  a  gene- 
ral, or  seraskeer,  as  the  Turks  call  him,  who  is, 
indeed,  chosen  by  the  sultan,  but  obliged  to  dis- 
tinguish himself,  in  accordance  with  the  custom 
of  the  country,  by  some  feat  of  bravery,  to  prove 
himself  worthy  of  the  dignity  of  that  office.  This 
feat  is  generally  an  incursion  into  one  or  the  other 
of  the  neighbouring  states,  or  some  other  proof 
of  personal  valour  and  intrepidity.  The  ordeal, 
however,  does  not  always  turn  out  to  the  advan- 
tage of  the  aspirant,  for,  in  the  year  1838,  the  com- 
mander-in-chief  of  the  troops  of  Takele,  who  was 
already  elected,  fell  a  victim  to  his  feat  of  hero- 
ism. He  crossed  the  borders  with  about  a  hun- 
dred men  armed  with  spears,  and  attacked  the 
nearest  Bakkara  tribe,  and  was  to  put  his  heroism 
to  the  test  on  a  Mogghrebeen  who  happened  to 
be  present.  The  general,  armed  with  a  broad- 
sword, charged  the  Mogghrebeen  on  horseback, 
waved  his  sabre  in  the  air,  and  thought,  with  one 
single  blow,  to  put  an  end  to  the  poor  native  of  the 
desert ;  but  the  latter,  although  on  foot  and  armed 
merely  with  a  pistol,  cleverly  avoided  the  impend- 
ing blow,  and  laid  the  valorous  general  prostrate 


SIIILLUK,   NUBA,   TAKELE,   ETC.  170 

with  a  pistol-ball.  The  invading  party,  seeing  their 
leader  slain,  immediately  took  to  flight,  and  the 
Bedouins  became  the  possessors  of  the  horse  and 
arms  of  the  defunct  general.  A  slight  idea  may 
thus  be  formed  of  the  state  of  the  army  of  Takele. 

Slaves  are  also  exported  from  Takele,  which  these 
negroes  capture  in  the  wars  with  their  neighbours, 
but  they  themselves  are,  in  their  turn,  not  spared, 
and  suffer  greatly,  partly  by  the  predatoiy  Bakkara, 
partly  by  their  own  countrymen,  who  devise  all 
manner  of  means  to  kidnap  their  children  by  force 
or  stratagem,  and  to  sell  them  to  the  slave  mer- 
chants. I  myself  met  with  a  girl,  in  the  house 
of  an  European  at  Cairo,  who  had  been  stolen, 
together  with  her  younger  sister,  from  the  paternal 
roof,  in  a  manner  which  must  cause  the  utmost 
astonishment  at  the  subtlety  and  cunning  of  these 
uncivilized  children  of  nature.  This  story  may  also 
serve  as  a  proof  of  the  manner  in  which  these  poor 
blacks  are  everywhere  treated. 

A  slave,  who  had  been  stolen  in  Takele, 
bought  by  a  Turk  in  Khartoom,  and  liberated  on 
tlu1  death  of  his  master,  as  is  frequently  the  case, 
returned  to  his  home.  The  sheikh  of  the  place, 
a  native  of  Abyssinia,  who  had  come  to  settle  in 
those  parts  at  an  early  age,  and  had  adopted 
the  Afahommedan  religion  from  love  for  a  negro 
girl,  received  this  slave  hospitably  into  his  hou-  . 
and  completely  provided  for  him,  for  his  parents 
were  dead,  and  he  had  no  other  relations  living. 

N    2 


180  TRIBES   BORDERING   ON   KORDOFAN, 

He  remained,  during  several  months,  in  the  sheikh's 
house,  where  he  ingratiated  himself,  by  his  pleasing 
manners  so  much  with  all  the  inhabitants,  but  more 
especially  with  the  children,  that  he  was  not  treated 
like  a  stranger,  but  regarded  as  a  member  of  the 
family.  One  day  he  was  left  alone  with  the  chil- 
dren at  home,  the  sheikh's  wife  being  called 
away  to  visit  a  sick  friend  in  a  hut  that  was  rather 
distant,  while  the  sheikh  himself  was  at  work  in 
the  fields.  He  amused  the  children,  for  some 
time,  with  a  variety  of  games,  then  left  them  for  a 
short  interval,  and,  on  his  return,  invited  the  eldest 
daughter,  a  girl  of  eleven  years  of  age,  and  her 
sister,  who  was  rather  younger,  to  accompany  him 
to  fetch  their  mother.  The  children,  not  sus- 
pecting any  harm,  acceded,  with  delight,  to  his 
proposition,  and  left  the  house  in  his  company. 
He  immediately  led  them  out  of  the  village,  pre- 
tending to  show  them  a  nearer  way  to  the  hut 
of  their  mother's  friend.  On  the  road,  he  endea- 
voured to  divert  the  attention  of  the  girls,  by 
relating  stories,  showing  them  flowers,  and  pluck- 
ing fruit  for  them,  in  order  that  they  might  not 
observe  that  he  was  leading  them  on  an  unbeaten 
track.  After  several  hours,  passed  with  many 
consolatory  assurances,  they  arrived  in  an  open 
country,  at  a  forest,  where  several  men  lay  hid- 
den among  the  bushes,  and  were  feeding  their 
horses.  The  ungrateful  villain  now  again  assured 
the  children  that  he  would  soon  conduct  them 


SIIILLUK,    NUBA,   TAKELE,   ETC.  181 

to    their    parent    in    the    company    of    all    these 
in  CM,   and   gave   them    some    refreshments.     When 
the     night    closed     in,     more     horsemen    arrived, 
and  they  all  immediately  set  out  on  their  march. 
The  robber  took   the   two  girls  on  his  horse,  the 
youngest  in  front  of  him,  and  the   eldest  behind, 
again  protesting  that  he  would  very  soon  bring  them 
to    their   mother,    who    was    already    waiting    for 
them.    The  whole  night  through  they  rode  in  the 
forest     and    to   prevent    the   girls,  who,    overcome 
with    fatigue,    had    fallen  asleep,  from  slipping  off 
his  horse,  he  bound  them  both  with  a  rope  to  his 
body.     The  younger  girl  still   believed  they  were 
going  to  their  home,  but  the  elder  began  to  scream 
and  cry,  and  complained  bitterly  that  she  knew  they 
had  both  been  stolen  and  were  to  be  sold  as  slaves. 
The  barbarian  now  changed  his  conduct ;  he  beat 
the  poor  girls  about  the  head  and  face,  and  threat- 
cued  to  murder  them,  if  they  uttered  another  note. 
Thus  they  travelled  on  during  four  nights,  for  by  day 
these  Bakkara  robbers  —  such   they  proved  to  be 
—  were    obliged  to  hide  in    the    woods,    or   other 
desolate  places,  to  avoid  being  seen  and  attacked  by 
the  natives.     At  last  they  reached  an  encampment 
of  Egyptian  troops.    The  kidnapper  now  led  the  two 
girls  to   the  commanding  officer,  and  made  him  a 
present  of  them,  of  course  against  a  present  of  equal 
worth.     The    officer,  moved    to    pity   by   the    tears 
of  these   two   children,  endeavoured  to   pacit'v  them, 
ottered   them    refreshment,  and  asked   them  whence 
thev  came. 


182  TRIBES   BORDERING   ON   KORDOFAN. 

When  they  had  told  the  Turk  the  name  of  their 
father  and  their  place  of  residence,  and  at  the  same 
time  related  the  manner  in  which  this  ungrateful 
wretch  had  stolen  them  from  their  paternal  roof,  he 
became  enraged,  and  ordered  the  robber  a  bastinado 
of  several  hundred  stripes.  He  quieted  the  sobs  of 
the  children,  and  promised  to  send  them  home  again, 
and  told  them  their  father  had  arrived  the  day  before 
in  the  camp,  but  hastened  back  home  again,  to  seek 
them  elsewhere,  as  he  had  not  found  them  there. 
It  so  happened  that  the  Egyptian  officer  was  a 
friend  of  their  father's,  who  had  done  him  a  great 
service  some  few  years  before.  He  immediately  sum- 
moned a  subaltern  into  his  presence,  and  put 
the  two  girls  under  his  care,  with  orders  to  take 
them  back  to  their  father,  and  give  him  notice  of 
his  arrival  at  the  borders.  The  subordinate  mounted 
a  camel,  took  charge  of  the  girls,  and  delighted  them 
with  the  assurance  that  they  should  reach  the 
borders  of  Takele  in  two  days,  and  that  he  would 
there  find  some  safe  opportunity  of  sending  them  to 
their  parent;  but  how  were  they  deceived  on  their 
arrival  at  Khartoom,  after  ten  days,  when  they  ob- 
served a  town  totally  unknown  to  them,  and  when 
this  second  robber  showed  himself  in  his  true  co- 
lours !  He  hastened  immediately  to  the  blue  Nile, 
and  hired  a  boat  for  the  remainder  of  his  journey  to 
Cairo ;  but  he  was  here  arrested  and  carried  before 
the  governor.  On  being  questioned  whence  he 
came,  and  by  whose  authority  he  was  escorting 


SHILLUK,    NUBA,   TAKELE,    ETC.  183 

these  slaves,  he  pretended  to  have  received  orders 
from  the  officer  commanding  the  troops  of  the  bor- 
ders to  convey  the  girls  to  Cairo.  The  governor 
dei iianded  a  proof  in  writing,  but  the  corporal  pre- 
tended to  have  lost  his  passport.  This  circumstance, 
and  the  assertion  of  the  twice-stolen  girls,  corro- 
borating the  suspicion  that  he  had  kidnapped 
them,  and  deserted  from  the  ranks,  he  received 
the  punishment  he  richly  deserved.  The  girls  were 
now  given  in  charge  to  a  sergeant's  wife,  and  told 
they  should  be  sent  with  the  next  transport  back  to 
their  father's  friend,  the  commanding  officer  of  the 
Egyptian  troops  on  the  borders,  who  would  then  see 
tli em  forwarded  to  their  parents ;  but  this  good  for- 
tune was  not  their  fate.  The  sergeant,  to  whose 
care  they  were  intrusted,  happened  to  meet  a 
Djelabi  one  evening  in  a  certain  house,  he  waked  the 
girls  out  of  their  sleep  at  night,  told  them  to  pre- 
pare for  their  journey  home,  and  led  them  to  the 
banks  of  the  blue  Nile,  where  they  were  ferried 
across,  and  immediately  mounted  on  a  camel 
standing  in  readiness  to  receive  them.  Early  the 
next  day  they  were  delivered  over  to  a  second  slave- 
merchant,  who  sold  them  to  a  Turk  at  Cairo,  of 
whom  the  European,  at  whose  house  I  met  the 
elder  o-irl,  had  bought  her.  Thus  we  see,  that  a 
hard  fate  attends  these  poor  blacks  everywhere,  and 
that  shivery,  without  the  possibility  of  escape,  is 
almost  their  certain  lot. 


1 84  RELIGION. 


CHAPTER  X, 


RELIGION. 


THE  greater  part  of  the  natives  of  Kordofan  pro- 
fess Islamism,  but  they  are  less  fanatic  than  other 
Mahommedans,  probably  arising  from  the  fact,  that 
few  Christians  and  no  Jews  are  to  be  met  with  in 
these  southern  parts,  hence  there  is  no  cause  for 
religious  asperity  or  hatred.  I  found,  however,  as  a 
rule  that,  with  the  exception  of  the  Dongolavi,  but 
few  adhere  strictly  to  the  Koran,  and  their  ideas  on 
articles  of  faith  are  quite  in  their  infancy;  nor  do  they 
trouble  themselves  much  with  the  various  religious 
ceremonies,  and  live  in  a  state  of  utter  ignorance, 
with  the  exception  of  believing  in  one  God,  and 
sometimes  calling  upon  their  prophet  for  assistance. 
There  are  very  few  Mosques  in  the  country,  and 
these  are  only  frequented  by  the  Turks  and  Dongo- 
lavi, who  are  resident  there.  Thus  the  Koran  is  not 
very  strictly  followed,  but  every  one  lives  after  that 
natural  species  of  religion  which  has  been  impressed 
upon  his  mind,  through  the  medium  of  his  senses  of 
sight,  and  hearing,  under  the  paternal  roof.  Hence 
all  manner  of  heterogeneous  opinions  and  ideas  are 


RELIGION.  185 

mixed-up  with  their  faith.  They  believe  in  one 
God,  and  in  addition  to  him  in  an  evil  spirit,  and 
a  great  deal  of  heathen  superstition  is,  moreover, 
jumbled  together  with  their  Islamism.  A  promi- 
nent cause  of  this  ignorance  is  the  negligence  of  the 
government,  which  does  not  institute  a  sufficient  num- 
ber of  schools,  for  very  few  of  them  are  to  be  found 
among  the  majority  of  the  tribes.  Only  a  small 
portion  of  the  natives  can  read  and  write,  with  the 
exception  of  the  Fakee*rs  and  Tekirs.  It  is  the  office 
of  these  men  to  study  the  Koran,  and  to  communi- 
cate what  they  have  read  to  the  people.  The  former 
are  the  school-masters  and  religious  instructers  : 
they  write  a  few  sentences  from  the  Koran  on  a 
board,  and  make  their  scholars  copy  them.  When 
they  have  learnt  thus  much,  they  are  considered  suf- 
ficiently instructed,  leave  the  school,  and  before  a 
year  is  over  have  forgotten  everything  again.  They 
also  write  amulets,  with  which  they  frequently  de- 
ceive the  people  in  the  most  shameful  manner. 
They  ingratiate  themselves  further  into  the  favour 
of  families,  like  the  clergy  of  Italy,  and  when  they 
have  once  gained  a  footing,  worm  out  the  most 
trivial  secrets,  interfere  with  all  the  domestic  affairs, 
and  have  frequently  more  authority  in  the  house 
than  the  master  himself.  Matches  are  concocted 
by  them,  and,  in  fact,  nothing  is  undertaken  without 
their  advice.  The  functions  of  a  Fakeer  would  ap- 
pear to  be  hereditary,  for  they  descend  generally 
from  father  to  son,  and  are  not  so  easily  transferred 


186  RELIGION. 

from  one  family  to  another.  They  also  make  vows, 
for  example,  not  to  smoke  for  the  remainder  of  their 
lives,  to  abstain  from  merissa  and  coffee,  each  man 
choosing  the  hardship  he  likes  best ;  in  short,  they 
are  the  same  as  the  Derweeshes  among  the  Turks,  but 
with  this  wide  difference,  that  they  are  looked  upon 
as  saints.  I  found  the  greatest  number  of  Fakeers 
among  the  Dongolavi,  who  are  also  the  most  rigid 
observers  of  the  Mahommedan  religion,  with  one 
single  exception,  that  they  are  very  -fond  of  brandy. 
They  do  not  follow  agricultural  pursuits,  but  are 
merchants,  brokers,  &c.  They  are  said,  as  a  rule,  to 
be  all  capable  of  reading  and  writing,  and  wear  a 
long  string  of  large  wooden  beads  round  their  necks. 
The  majority  of  them  are  hypocrites,  and  indeed  it  is 
better  to  avoid  them  altogether. 

The  Mahommedan  negroes  all  live  in  a  state  of 
the  most  abject  ignorance.  Not  many  Fakeers  are 
to  be  met  with  among  them,  and,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  circumcision,  they  bear  in  fact  very  few 
signs  of  belonging  to  the  Mahommedan  religion. 
They  have  some  peculiar  ideas  of  their  own  on  mat- 
ters of  faith,  for  example,  on  the  creation  of  the 
world,  and  mix  up  a  great  deal  of  superstition  with 
the  Koran,  with  which  they  are  altogether  but  very 
little  acquainted.  Thus  an  old  negro  explained  to 
me  why  God  Almighty  allowed  white  men,  dark- 
coloured,  and  black  men,  to  live  together  in  this 
world.  When,  namely,  our  first  parents  were 
driven  out  of  Paradise  after  committing  the  original 


RELIGION.  187 

sin,  the  Lord  came  down  from  heaven  every  day  to 
his  orders  strictly  obeyed,  and  to  convince  him- 
self that  they  gained  their  daily  bread  with  the  sweat 
of  their  brow.  Eve,  or  as  the  negroes  call  our  first 
mother,  Hauve,  bore  daily  many  hundred  children, 
which  she  was  obliged  to  shew  to  the  Abou,  (God  the 
Father)  who  sent  them  into  all  parts  of  the  world 
there  to  multiply.  It  happened  once  that  Hauve 
brought  several  hundred  children  into  the  world  of 
a  darker  colour.  When  Abou  came  and  saw  these, 
he  reproached  Hauve,  and  said  he  would  not  have 
any  more  of  these  dark  babes,  took  them  immedi- 
ately away  from  her,  and  transplanted  them  into 
the  present  Abyssinia.  Shortly  after  this,  Hauve 
brought  forth  another  lot  of  similar  children,  which 
for  fear  of  the  Abou,  she  locked  in  an  oven  to 
secrete  them ;  but  Abou,  on  his  arrival,  had  a  sus- 
picion of  what  had  transpired,  and  as  he  did  not 
receive  a  satisfactory  answer  from  Hauve  respect- 
ing the  last  children,  hunted  for  them  everywhere, 
and  found  them  eventually  in  the  oven.  When 
they  crept  out  of  their  place  of  confinement,  they 
were  all  quite  black  with  the  soot.  Abou  in 
his  wrath  at  this  second  offence  on  the  part  of 
Jfauve,  again  took  away  her  children,  and  swore 
that  they  should,  in  commemoration  of  their  mo- 
ther's crime,  remain  for  ever  as  black  as  when  they 
emerged  from  the  oven,  and  that  nothing  in  the 
world  should  be  capable  of  wiping  otF  the  stain. 
These  children  now  became  the  original  parent >  «>f 
the  negroo. 


188  RELIGION. 

The  Mahommedan  negroes  are  altogether  fond  of 
clothing  their  religion  in  a  traditionary  garb,  and  of 
adulterating  it  with  absurdities,  which  remain  then 
so  strongly  impressed  upon  their  minds,  that  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  eradicate  the  false  notions  and 
instruct  them   differently.     They  believe  firmly  in 
metempsychosis,  and  accord  to  apes  the  honour  of 
being  animated  by  those  human  souls  which,  for  the 
commission  of  some  crime  during  life,  must  suffer 
punishment  after  death   in  the  shape  of  monkeys. 
They  never  in  any  way  injure  these  animals,   and 
take  care  that  they  do  not  suffer  from  want  of  food. 
If  they  see   any  person  ill-treating  one    of  them, 
they  become   very  wrath,   and  an  old  negro   once 
reproached  me  severely  for  punishing  my  monkey 
for  some  offence  of  which  it  had  been  guilty,  for, 
added   he :    "  Why    dost  thou  beat    thy   monkey  ? 
May  it  not  be  thy  grandfather,  whose  soul  is  incor- 
porated in  this  animal  after    death  ?"      Elephants 
and    parrots    share    the    same    honour  with    apes ; 
and   they    contend   that    the    former    more    espe- 
cially could  not  act  so  sensibly  as  they  do,  unless  a 
human  soul  dwelt  within  their  body. 

Those  sheikhs  or  saints,  so  common  in  Egypt, 
where  they  are  regarded  as  holy,  and,  as  it  were, 
adored,  but  who  are  virtually  idiots  or  cunning  im- 
postors, are  not  tolerated  in  Kordofan.  On  the 
contrary,  unfortunate  beings  really  neglected  by 
nature  are  not  indeed  ill-treated,  but  kept  as  se- 
cluded as  they  possibly  can  be  in  their  own  fami- 


RELIGION.  189 

lies,  who  take  care  that  they  do  not  so  readily  come 
in  contact  with  strangers.  I  only  know  of  two  in- 
stances in  the  whole  province  of  Kordofan  of  those 
saints  above-mentioned  (Sheikhs)  being  worshipped, 
as  they  so  frequently  are,  by  the  Moslems,  both 
before  and  after  death.  The  one  of  these  died 
several  years  ago,  and  the  people  from  the  most 
distant  parts,  at  the  present  time  undertake  pilgrim- 
ages to  his  grave,  situated  at  a  distance  of  two  hours' 
march  from  Lobeid.  They  there  make  vows  to  do 
certain  things  if  the  saint  will  grant  them  their  re- 
quest. The  offerings  brought  to  his  grave  consist  of 
sheep,  corn,  &c. ;  the  former  are  slaughtered  on 
Mondays  and  Thursdays,  and  distributed  among  the 
blind  beggars  who  assemble  on  these  days,  at  the 
tomb.  The  person  bringing  the  sacrifice  now  offers 
up  a  short  prayer,  and  thus  the  vow  is  completed. 

The  second  Sheikh,  who  is  yet  living  at  Lobeid, 
is  named  Beduy:  he  is  a  pious  man  and  anything 
but  a  hypocrite,  hence  he  is  beloved  and  enjoys  the 
good  opinion  of  all  men.  He  settles  disputes,  and 
gives  friendly  advice  to  all  who  come  to  ask  for  it, 
knows  no  partiality,  and  in  no  instance  receives  a 
present.  He  lives  very  simply,  his  food  consisting 
of  nothing  but  Garat,*  which  he  has  ground  to 
flour,  and  made  into  bread.  He  only  eats  meat 
once  a  year.  I  have  visited  him  on  various  occa- 
sions, conversed  with  him  on  a  variety  of  topics. 

*  The  pod  of  a  tree  with  which  the  natives  tan  leather  in  Kor- 
dofan. 


190  RELIGION. 

and  have  had  the  opportunity  of  convincing  my- 
self that  he  is  possessed  of  good  sound  sense,  and 
has  correct  ideas  on  most  subjects.  As  far  as  his 
religion  is  concerned,  he  is  a  rigid  Mahommedan, 
and  defends  his  opinions  and  articles  of  faith  with 
the  greatest  zeal ;  but  I  never  heard  him  speak  with 
contempt  of  the  Christian  or  of  any  other  religion,  as 
the  Derweeshes  frequently  do ;  he  merely  pities  those 
who  are  not  as  fortunate  as  himself  in  belonging  to 
the  true  faith.  In  short,  he  is  a  Mahommedan  mis- 
sionary. He  has  made  thousands  of  proselytes 
among  the  heathen  negroes,  for  he  strolls  about 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  year  in  the  moun- 
tains, endeavouring  to  disseminate  el  Islam.  lie 
also  defends  his  faith  according  to  the  letter  of  the 
Koran,  sword  in  hand,  and  has  even  lost  a  son  in 
the  fight  for  the  good  cause.  The  Fakeers  are  very 
much  afraid  of  him,  and  take  great  care  not  to  play 
their  pranks  in  his  vicinity ;  he  also  feels  a  thorough 
contempt  for  them. 

It  is  high  time  for  the  Missionary  Societies  of  Eu- 
rope to  direct  their  attention  to  this  part  of  Africa; 
if  they  delay  much  longer  it  will  be  too  late,  for 
when  the  negroes  have  once  adopted  the  Koran,  no 
power  on  earth  can  induce  them  to  change  their 
opinions.  I  have  heard  through  several  authentic 
sources  that  there  are  but  few  provinces  in  the  in- 
terior of  Africa  where  Mahommedanism  has  not 
already  begun  to  gain  a  footing.  The  Djelabi 
are  the  people  who  have  taken  the  conversion  of 


RELIGION.  191 

the  negroes  on  themselves,  and  have  met  with  par- 
tial success;  I  must,  however,  observe,  that  if  the 
propaganda,  or  protestant  missionary  societies,  should 
decide  upon  sending  missionaries  into  the  country, 
they  ought  not  to  settle  where  the  Koran  predomi- 
nates, for  all  their  trouble  would  be  wasted,  and  all 
their  money  spent  in  vain.  Sennaar  and  Kordofan, 
are  not  fit  provinces  for  this  purpose,  even  if  they 
intended  to  convert  negroes  from  distant  countries, 
who  may  be  there  bought  for  a  trifle,  and  to  send 
them  back  into  their  own  country ;  for  the  converse 
with  Mahommedans,  and  the  acquirement  of  the 
Arabic  language,  would  be  sufficient  causes  of  them- 
selves to  frustrate  their  endeavours.  Nuba,  Kodero, 
Shilluk,  Runga,  Kulla,  &c. ;  these  are  the  countries 
where  something  might  yet  be  done,  but  "  if  it  were 
done,  when  'tis  done,  then  'twere  well,  it  were  done 
quickly,"  or  these,  and  many  other  states,  will  be  lost 
to  Christianity. 


192  DISEASES. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


DISEASES. 


IN  all  my  travels  I  never  met  with  any  country 
where  the  climate  is  so  unhealthy,  and  where  there 
is  such  a  variety  of  disease  as  in  Kordofan.  Every 
one  in  the  province,  natives  and  strangers,  more  or 
less  succumb  to  this  scourge,  but  the  Europeans  are 
the  first  who  fall  victims.  Two  thirds  of  the  white 
men  who  visit  these  regions  may  be  with  certainty 
regarded  as  sacrificed.  The  Turks  and  Egyptians  or- 
dered there  in  Mehemed  Ali's  service,  dwindle  down 
perceptibly,  and  must  be  continually  replaced  by 
fresh  supplies.  Of  the  sixteen  European  medical 
men  and  apothecaries  employed  in  Kordofan,  within 
the  space  of  seventeen  years  seven  have  died,  and 
of  eight  Englishmen  sent  into  this  province  to  work 
iron  mines,  six  perished  in  less  than  two  months, 
and  the  remaining  two  only  escaped  with  their  lives 
by  making  a  rapid  flight  from  this  unhealthy  dis- 
trict. Captain  Woodfall,  an  Englishman,  who  visit- 
ed this  country  in  the  year  1831,  fell  a  victim  to 
the  climate. 

All  diseases  show  themselves  with  redoubled 
vigour  during  the  rainy  season ;  no  house,  no  hovel 


DISEASES.  193 

is  then  free  from  sick,  and  tln»  whole  of  Kordofan 
may  be  regarded  as  one  large  hospital.  The  total 
want  of  European  medical  men  who  are  only  to  be 
found  attached  to  the  army  at  Lobeid — during  my 
residence  in  this  town,  there  were  none  at  all  there, 
for  the  only  one  I  met  with  very  soon  died — is  a  cir- 
cumstance deeply  to  be  regretted  ;  and  it  has  gene- 
rally happened  that  those  sent  into  the  province 
have  paid  their  tribute  to  the  climate,  or  were  soon 
thus  far  disabled  that  they  could  be  of  no  assistance 
to  other  sufferers.  There  is,  indeed,  no  lack  of  native 
doctors,  but  it  may  be  easily  imagined  to  what  sys- 
tem of  treatment  a  patient  is  subjected  under  their 
hands.  Add  to  this  the  favourite,  "Allah  kerim" 
(as  God  will)  of  the  Mahommedans,  and  we  may 
readily  understand  the  reason  why  they  never  resort 
to  means  for  suppressing  a  slight  indisposition  un- 
til it  increases  to  a  frightful  disease.  Before  pa- 
rents offer  their  children  relief  in  sickness,  or  before 
the  children  attend  to  their  parents,  they  consult 
Fakeers  and  writers  of  amulets,  and  the  like  fanatics 
and  fortune-tellers,  and  their  advice  must  have 
proved  useless. 

The  chief  diseases  are  fevers,  dysentery,  abscesses 
about  the  neck  (named  durore\  dropsy,  small-pox, 
jiggers,  skin  diseases,  and  lues.  Every  resident  in  the 
country  is  attacked  with  fever,  and  all  precautionary 
measures  to  avert  the  evil,  such  as  a  regular  life, 
etc.,  are  generally  speaking  futile.  I  found,  on 
the  contrary,  that  those  persons  who  indulged  in 

o 


194  DISEASES. 

ardent  liquors,  such  as  brandy,  merissa,  or  bill-bill,  re- 
mained far  more  free  from  fever  and  dysentery,  than 
those  who  endeavoured  to  escape  these  complaints  by 
the  observance  of  rigid  diet,  and  other  prophylactic 
means ;  for  the  latter  were  not  only  sooner  at- 
tacked, but  sooner  fell  victims  to  these  scourges. 
I  myself  observed  this  mode  of  life ;  but,  unfortu- 
nately, experienced  the  contrary  to  what  I  might 
have  expected,  under  similar  circumstances,  in  Eu- 
rope, or  in  any  more  healthy  climate ;  for,  out  of  the 
eleven  months  of  my  residence  in  this  country, 
there  were  but  few  weeks  during  which  I  could 
consider  myself  free  from  fever  and  dysentery.  All 
the  drugs,  with  which  I  had  provided  myself  for  my 
journey,  proved  of  no  avail,  until  I  followed  the 
advice  of  several  old  people,  and  drank  brandy  and 
merissa,  in  moderation,  when  both  diseases  left  me. 
The  chief  causes  of  the  two  maladies  named,  are  the 
sudden  changes  of  temperature,  and,  more  espe- 
cially, the  use  of  water.  The  greater  part  of  the 
water  is  putrescent,  much  of  it  is  filled  with  animal- 
culae,  if  it  be  not  previously  boiled ;  and  unfortu- 
nately for  the  adoption  of  this  precaution  the  oppor- 
tunity is  not  always  at  hand ;  in  this  case  it  should 
be  mixed  with  brandy.  Where  these  rules  are  not 
observed,  fever,  or  dysentery,  are  sure  to  be  the  in- 
fallible consequence. 

The  methods  of  treatment,  customary  among  the 
natives  of  Kordofan,  are  various,  and  consist  in  the 
employment  of  the  common  domestic  quack-remedies 


DISEASES.  1 95 

of  Europe,  in  addition  to  the  above-mentioned  super- 
stitions aids.  Thus,  those  attacked  with  fever,  after 
the  amulets  and  other  mystic  charms  have  proved 
useless,  drink,  for  three  or  four  days,  a  cup  contain- 
ing about  a  pound  of  melted  butter  daily,  or  a  large 
(juantity  of  milk,  in  which  sandal-wood  has  been 
steeped  during  twenty-four  hours.  Both  these 
remedies  produce  a  powerful  alterative  effect,  and  I 
saw  several  persons  cured  of  fever  by  them.  For  allay- 
ing dysentery,  they  make  use  of  sour  milk,  in  which 
dabaldia,  the  fruit  of  a  tree,  causing  constipation, 
has  been  steeped  over  night.  The  same  fruit,  taken 
in  small  quantities,  acts  as  a  gentle  purgative ;  but 
these  modes  of  treatment  are  only  adapted  to  the 
natives,  and  always  prove  fatal  to  Europeans.  For 
dropsy  they  know  of  no  remedy,  and  persons  attacked 
with  this  disease  die,  with  but  few  exceptions. 

As  soon  as  the  jiggers  show  themselves,  the  part 
inflamed  is  burnt  with  a  red-hot  iron,  and  a  small 
opening  made,  when  the  worm  immediately  presents 
itself.  The  treatment  is  now  the  same  as  that  of  tape- 
worm :  thus  the  natives  seize  the  portion  of  the  ani- 
mal protruding  through  the  opening,  wind  it  care- 
fully round  a  small  piece  of  wood,  and  proceed  in 
this  manner  until  they  have  gradually  extracted  the 
whole.  If  it  tear  before  it  is  entirely  eradicated, 
the  disease  is  reproduced.  When  attacked  with 
small-pox,  the  natives  rub  their  whole  body  with 
earth,  or  roll  in  the  sand,  until  the  pustules  are 
broken,  and  the  entire  surface  is  covered  with  an 

o  2 


196  DISEASES. 

incrustation,  which  they  allow  to  remain  adherent 
until  the  period  of  desiccation.  A  negro,  who  has 
suffered  from  small-pox,  presents  a  very  ridiculous 
appearance  when  the  scabs  fall  off,  for  his  body  is 
speckled  with  white  spots,  which  gradually  become 
red,  but  resume,  subsequently,  the  original  black 
colour,- — he  is,  in  fact,  for  the  time  being,  pie-bald. 
They  suffer  greatly  with  this  disease,  for  they  can- 
not keep  themselves  warm  for  want  of  clothing,  or 
other  covering,  and  are  thus  put  to  inconceivable 
torture.  A  great  number  of  natives  fall  victims  to 
this  complaint,  but  the  majority  are  cured.  The 
form  of  disease  presenting  itself  with  abscesses, 
about  the  neck,  named  durore,  is  indigenous  to  the 
country,  and  frequently  shews  itself  during  the 
rainy  season ;  it  is  said  by  the  natives  to  originate 
in  colds.  In  the  treatment  of  this  affection,  they 
open  the  abscesses  with  the  potential  cautery,  and 
when  the  matter  is  discharged,  dress  the  wound 
with  an  ointment  prepared  of  butter  and  clay. 
Syphilis  was  totally  unknown  in  these  regions 
during  the  preceding  century,  and  the  natives  have 
only  been  inoculated  within  recent  years,  through 
the  intermediation  of  the  Egyptian  troops  quartered 
in  the  province.  It  may  be  easily  imagined  what 
ravages  this  disease  commits,  as  these  simple  peo- 
ple, unacquainted  with  its  nature,  frequently  neg- 
lect it  for  a  considerable  time.  They  are  certainly 
at  present  rather  more  enlightened  on  the  subject, 
and  resort  to  a  few  remedies,  which,  however,  prove 


DISEASES.  197 

of  slight  avail,  and,  during  the  rainy  season  more 
^specially,  all  endeavours  to  arrest  its  progress  are 
in  vain.  The  disorder  assumes  a  very  obstinate 
character  in  this  country ;  for  though  cured  in  the 
dry  season,  it  generally  presents  itself  again  at  the 
period  of  the  rain, — a  circumstance  very  easily  ex- 
plained, if  we  consider  that  the  cure,  what  with  their 
inacquaintance  with  the  nature  of  the  disease,  and 
defective  treatment,  is  generally  palliative,  or  tem- 
porary, and  never  radical;  hence  many  of  these  pa- 
tients remain  cripples  for  life.  They  mostly  employ 
in  the  treatment  an  earth,  named  traiba,*  which  has 
a  purgative  action.  The  lavements  are  administered 
in  the  following  manner  : — They  take  the  thigh- 
bone of  a  fowl,  and  clearing  away  the  marrow, 
fasten  it  to  a  portion  of  the  intestines  of  a  sheep, 
into  which  they  pour  a  decoction  of  garra,f  and  then 
insert  the  pipe  into  the  anus,  compressing  the  gut 
until  the  whole  of  the  contents  pass  into  the  abdo- 
men. If  to  the  want  of  medical  men,  and  scarcity 
of  remedies,  we  add  the  state  of  uncleanliness  in 
which  these  people  live,  we  may  form  some  slight 
idea  of  the  sufferings  they  endure  in  sickness.  It 
is.  in  fact,  impossible  to  form  a  conception  of  the 
misery  to  be  met  with  in  their  hovels,  which  arc' 
sometimes  crowded  with  patients;  nursing  and 

*  This  earth  is  found  near  Shendy,  and  is  said  to  be  met  with 
in  several  places  on  the  White  Nile  also. 

t  It  resembles  the  tomato  in  shape  and  size,  grows  in  a  similar 
manner,  and  has  a  very  unpleasant  taste. 


198  DISEASES. 

all  attention  is  out  of  the  question ;  every  man  is  left 
to  himself,  hence  many  of  course  perish,  who,  with 
but  slight  care,  might  easily  have  been  saved,  but — 
Allah  Kerim ! 

There  are  no  prophylactics  against  all  these 
diseases,  and  I  know  of  no  better  advice  to  give 
to  Europeans  travelling  in  this  country  than  to 
caution  them  against  drinking  new  milk  or  water; 
the  latter  they  should  always  boil,  and  ought  more- 
over to  be  careful  to  keep  themselves,  and  more 
especially  their  feet,  warm  during  the  rainy  season ; 
they  should  further  use  a  large  quantity  of  pepper 
with  their  food,  and  rather  eat  too  little  than  too 
much.  In  cases  of  dysentery,  for  which  rice  and 
gum-water  are  generally  prescribed  in  Egypt,  the 
traveller  should  by  all  means  avoid  these  same 
remedies,  for  he  would  only  debilitate  his  digestive 
organs  the  more.  For  my  own  part  I  resorted 
latterly  to  the  shells  of  the  pomegranate  steeped 
for  a  few  hours  in  cold  water,  and  found  this  re- 
medy very  successful.  It  is  quite  a  mistake  to 
imagine  the  use  of  spirituous  liquors  pernicious  in 
tropical  climates,  for  I  convinced  myself,  but  unfor- 
tunately too  late,  of  the  contrary.  On  my  own 
personal  experience  I  can  assert  that  a  moderate 
quantity  of  brandy  (in  defect  of  wine)  or  Merissa 
taken  daily  is  an  excellent  prophylactic.  All  those 
natives,  moreover,  who  possess  the  means  of  pro- 
curing it,  enjoy  health,  and  are  not  so  easily  at- 
tacked with  fever  or  dysentery ;  it  will  of  course  be 
understood  that  every  excess  is  hurtful. 


THE   TROOPS.  I!)!) 


(I LAPTER  XII. 

THE    TROOPS. 

THE  military  force  stationed  in  Kordofan  consists 
of  three  battalions  of  the  first  regiment  of  the  line, 
each  battalion  being  composed  of  1000  men,  further 
of  800  Bedouin  horsemen,  called  also  Mogghrebeen, 
in  id  of  about  40  artillery  men  to  serve  the  few  guns 
employed  in  the  slave-hunting  expeditions ;  to  this 
number  about  200  men  of  the  irregular  Turkish 
cavalry  were  added,  in  the  commencement  of  the 
year  1839.  The  latter  troops  were  removed  from 
Dongola  to  Kordofan,  but  for  an  indefinite  time 
only ;  they  were,  indeed,  expecting  orders  shortly 
to  return  to  their  former  quarters.  The  staff  is 
stationed  at  Lobeid,  and  the  colonel  of  the  regi- 
ment (the  Bey)  whom  we  have  before  mentioned, 
is  both  civil  and  military  governor  of  the  province. 
Two  companies  of  the  same  regiment  are  quartered 
in  Seminar.  This  regiment  was  originally  the  HIM 
which  Meliemed  Ali  formed  of  Negroes  at  Assuan 
in  K.Lrvpt,  and  placed  on  European  footing;  linii- 
drcd>  of  Kgyptians  have',  at  various  times,  been 
dratted  into  this  corps,  but  they  mostly  fell  vie- 


200  THE  TROOPS. 

tims  to  the  climate,  or  perished  after  a  few  years' 
service  in  the  razzias  or  slave-hunts.  The  entire 
garrison  consists  of  blacks :  it  is,  in  fact,  indispens- 
ably necessary  that  it  should  be  so ;  for  the  white 
men  cannot  accommodate  themselves  to  the  climate. 
Among  all  Mehemed  All's  troops,  numbers  of 
which  I  have  seen  in  various  parts  of  his  dominions, 
I  never  met  with  a  regiment  so  wretchedly  equipped, 
so  badly  drilled,  and  so  utterly  deficient  in  discipline 
as  the  one  in  question.  The  soldiers  wear  only  a 
white  cotton  uniform,  and  it  would  be  injudicious 
indeed  to  clad  them  in  cloth  in  this  hot  climate; 
but  when  we  come  to  consider  that  the  negroes,  by 
nature  not  over  addicted  to  cleanliness,  do  not 
trouble  themselves  with  washing,  and  are  not  even 
provided  for  this  purpose  with  soap,  an  expense 
they  feel  no  inclination  to  defray  from  their  own 
purses,  and  add  to  this  that  they  are  in  the  habit  of 
anointing  their  bodies  frequently  with  butter  as  a 
means  for  preserving  their  health,  a  pretty  correct 
idea  of  a  trooper  of  Kordofan  may  be  formed.  On 
meeting  one  of  these  foot-soldiers  without  his  ac- 
coutrements a  stranger  is  really  at  a  loss  how  to 
classify  him,  and  before  he  has  thoroughly  accus- 
tomed himself  to  the  sight  he  would  rather  take 
him  for  a  scarecrow  than  a  soldier.*  The  accou- 

*  The  chaussure  consists  of  shoes  and  sandals,  but  a  part  of 
them  appear  on  parade  barefooted,  for  they  are  not  over  rigid 
disciplinarians  ;_the  covering  to  the"  head,  like  that  of  all  the  other 
troops,  is  the  turboosh — a  red  cap,  and  the  only  article  of  dress 
about  them  in  decent  preservation. 


THE  TROOPS.  'JO  I 

trements,  like  the  regimentals,  are  not  in  the  very 
best  state;  while  the  drill  sergeants  are  as  ignorant 
as  the  recruits,  and  quite  inadequate  to  their  task, 
with  the  exception  that  the  latter  have  no  concep- 
tion of  fire-arms ;  thus  muskets  may  be  seen  on 
which  Time  has  set  his  tooth  in  the  literal  sense,  so 
weak  in  the  barrel,  not  with  over  cleaning,  but 
with  over  rust,  that  they  would  never  stand  a 
charge.  Instead  of  a  flint  a  piece  of  wood  is  fre- 
quently screwed  into  the  lock,  the-  soldier  finding 
it  far  more  judicious  to  sell  the  former  to  enable 
him  to  buy  a  little  tobacco.  To  prevent  desertion  as 
far  as  it  is  possible,  the  government  encourages  the 
soldiers  in  marrying ;  they  do  not  then  live  in  bar- 
rack, but  in  separate  huts  of  their  own  without  the 
precincts.  It  must  not,  however,  be  imagined 
that  there  are  barracks  in  Kordofan  like  those  in 
Europe,  or  even  in  Egypt.  Those  at  Lobeid  con- 
sist of  about  fifty  detached  huts  built  irregularly, 
but  surrounded  with  a  fence  of  thorn ;  in  the  latter 
tin  aperture  is  left,  guarded  with  the  branch  of  a 
tree,  which  forms  the  gate.  The  interior  arrange- 
ments correspond  with  the  external  appearance  ; 
Inside  the  angarebs  and  the  knapsacks  of  the  men, 
there  is  not  a  single  article  of  barrack  furniture  to 
be  seen.  There  are  three  infantry  barracks  of  this 
description  in  Lobeid.  When  the  men  mount  guard, 
the  women  accompany  them,  or,  if  they  happen  to 
be  unmarried,  some  of  their  comrades  follow,  carry- 
ing the  straw  mats  and  pipes  of  the  detachment  ;  for 


202  THE  TROOPS. 

it  is  the  first  maxim  among  them  to  make  their  visit 
to  the  guard-room  as  pleasant  and  comfortable  as 
possible.  This  rule  extends  even  to  the  very  sen- 
try, who  makes  his  duties  as  easy  as  he  possibly 
can ;  he  does  not  stand  sentry,  but  sits  down  whilst 
on  duty,  and  that  the  musket  may  not  inconveni- 
ence him  by  its  weight  during  this  important  time, 
he  lays  it  down  at  a  few  paces  distance.  If  an 
officer  happen  to  pass  by,  the  occurrence  by  no 
means  disturbs  his  equanimity;  the  sentinel  at 
the  most  rises,  but  shouldering  or  presenting  arms 
is  a  mark  of  respect  never  heard  of.  In  relieving 
guard  they  do  not  wait  for  orders  or  other  arrange- 
ments, but  as  soon  as  the  fresh  detachment  arrives, 
and  the  various  posts  have  been  relieved,  every 
man  walks  quietly  home  with  his  straw  mat  and 
pipe  under  one  arm,  and  his  musket  on  the  other, 
leaving  it  to  his  superior  officers  to  manage  every 
thing  else. 

Their  drill  and  exercise  is  at  the  same  low  ebb  as 
their  garrison  and  field  service.  The  recruits  are 
drilled  during  a  few  weeks  only ;  they  are  quick  of 
conception,  and  with  the  exception  of  the  Shilluks, 
very  soon  learn,  but  they  as  readily  again  forget 
what  they  have  acquired,  for  they  do  not  consider 
it  worth  their  while  to  keep  themselves  in  practice 
by  repeated  exercise.  The  drill  is  generally  per- 
formed singly,  they  very  seldom  exercise  in  large 
detachments,  and  scarcely  ever  in  companies.  It 
is,  therefore,  not  astonishing,  that  a  battalion 


THE  TROOPS.  203 

cnn not  execute  the  most  simple  movement  with 
precision.  I  have  seen  the  commanding-officer  on  a 
field-day  not  even  able  to  bring  his  battalion  to  form 
a  square ;  he  had,  in  fact,  to  take  each  separate 
man  by  the  arm,  and  lead  him  to  the  place  where 
the  square  was  to  be  formed,  and  yet  this  is  the 
only  manreuvre  to  which  they  are  obliged  to  pay 
attention,  because  frequently  put  in  practice  in 
skirmishes,  in  warfare  with  their  neighbours,  or 
on  those  barbarous  expeditions  of  slave-hunting. 
The  intention  of  this  quarrt  is  to  place  the  troops  in 
readiness  to  receive  their  enemy,  who  always  attacks 
suddenly,  sword  in  hand,  because  it  was  found  by 
experience  that  single  detachments  sent  in  advance 
were  literally  cut  up,  notwithstanding  the  advantage 
Mehemed  Ali's  regular  troops  enjoy  in  the  posses- 
sion of  fire-arms.  According  to  the  present  system, 
when  an  attack  is  expected,  the  troops  form  a 
quarre",  and  prepare  to  receive  cavalry  ;  sometimes 
the  square  is  hollow,  and  all  non-combatants,  ammu- 
nition, and  baggage,  and  frequently  also  the  cavalry, 
are  enclosed  within  its  precincts.  When  the  first 
shock  has  been  sustained,  and  the  enemy  retreats  in 
disorder,  they  deploy  and  pursue.  The  nature  of  the 
attack  of  the  negroes  has  therefore  induced  the 
officers  to  have  this  manoeuvre  principally  practised. 
Of  other  movements,  such  as  advancing  in  column, 
marching  in  sections,  wheeling  to  the  right  or  left, 
forming  detachments,  defiling,  or  other  nece*sirv 
niaiiirnvres.  he  tlu-v  ever  so  simple,  these  soldiers 


204  THE  TROOPS. 

have  no  conception,  and  should  it  ever  enter  the 
head  of  the  inspector  at  a  review  to  order  one  of 
them,  it  is  executed  with  so  much  confusion, 
that  the  officer  commanding  has  the  greatest  trou- 
ble in  re-forming  his  battalion  from  the  confused 
chaos.  It  is  incredible  how  soon  they  forget  every 
thing,  for  this  regiment  formerly  had  an  excellent 
French  preceptor,  as  lately  even  as  the  middle  of 
the  year  1837,  at  which  period  he  was  obliged  to 
leave  the  country  on  account  of  ill  health.  The 
troops  learn  to  shoot  well ;  it  is  not,  however,  to  be 
wondered  at,  considering  the  wretched  state  of  their 
muskets,  if  the  best  shot  frequently  miss  his  aim. 
Ball  practice,  so  essential  a  branch  of  service,  is  but 
rarely  resorted  to,  and  in  this  country,  indeed,  the 
soldier  is  treated  more  like  a  policeman  than  a  mili- 
tary man,  for  his  services  are  required  for  enforcing 
the  payment  of  taxes,  the  arrest  of  prisoners,  and  for 
other  duties  generally  devolving  upon  the  consta- 
bulary. 

It  would,  moreover,  prove  a  very  dangerous  expe- 
riment to  trouble  the  troops  much  with  exercising 
and  other  matters  of  duty,  and  would  be  attended  with 
an  incurrence  of  the  very  worst  of  hazards.  An  officer 
dare  not  even  venture  to  enforce  his  orders  with  the 
common  rigidity  of  discipline  ;  they  would  not  only 
not  be  obeyed,  but  the  officer'offending  in  this  man- 
ner must  expect  the  worst.  With  kindness  every 
thing  may  be  effected  with  these  semi-barbarians, 
whilst  with  harshness  nothing  is  to  be  done;  and  to 


THE   TROOPS.  205 

obtain  obedience  to  an  order  in  which  their  service** 
are  required,  it  is  necessary  either  to  rouse  their  am- 
bition, or  to  persuade  them  by  soft  words.  There  is, 
therefore,  a  wide  difference  between  these  negro 
soldiers  and  the  Egyptian  troops.  The  latter,  ac- 
customed from  infancy  to  be  driven  with  a  stick  to 
their  duties,  cringe  before  an  officer,  like  a  worm 
upon  the  ground,  in  presentiment  of  the  punishment 
they  are  to  undergo ;  whereas  the  negro  who  has 
been  reared  in  liberty  boldly  faces  his  superior, 
whilst  awaiting  his  command.  When  he  has  re- 
ceived his  orders,  provided  his  sense  of  dignity  or 
freedom  be  not  impeached,  the  officer  may  rely  upon 
their  being  punctually  executed.  But  woe  betide 
the  martinet  who  should  venture  to  force  a  soldier 
by  harsh  words  or  ill-treatment  to  the  performance 
of  his  duty!  His  life  would  be  endangered  from 
that  moment,  and  a  revolt  amongst  the  whole  troops 
might  prove  of  the  most  serious  consequence,  as  has 
already  been  the  case.  The  Turkish  officers  are 
well  aware  of  this,  and  are  very  careful  not  to  say 
or  do  anything  that  might  irritate  the  negro  soldiers. 

The  pay  is  the  same  as  that  of  all  other  Egyptian 
troops,  namely,  twenty  paras  (two-pence)  per  diem, 
and  a  ration  consisting  of  bread,  meat,  and  butter  in 
abundance1;  but  for  their  actual  pay  they  have  to 
wait  frequently  a  whole  twelvemonth,  and  their 
arrears  are  then  liquidated  with  slaves  or  camels. 

It  frequently  happens  on  these  occasions  that  a  son 
receives  his  father  or  his  brother  instead  of  payment. 


206  THE  TROOPS. 

It  might  be  imagined  that  this  would  be  considered 
a  fortunate  occurrence  by  both  parties,  and  that  the 
slave  would,  as  a  natural  consequence,  be  liberated ; 
but  this  is  by  no  means  the  case,  for  the  soldier  has 
usually  incurred  a  debt  on  his  arrears,  and  in  the 
distribution  of  pay  two  troopers  very  often  become 
co-proprietors  of  one  full-grown  slave.  Thus  little 
regard  can  be  paid  to  filial  or  fraternal  affection ; 
the  soldier  can  only  delay  the  sale  of  his  father  or 
brother  for  a  few  days,  but  it  must  eventually  take 
place.  Officers  themselves  have  told  me,  that  these 
scenes  are  of  frequent  occurrence,  and  that  it  would 
move  the  heart  of  the  most  unfeeling  man  to  pity, 
to  behold  a  son  or  brother  concluding  the  bargain 
with  the  Djelabi  for  his  near  relative,  when  they 
are  forced  to  part  for  ever. 

The  soldiers'  boys  receive  pay  from  the  day  of 
their  birth,  and  having  attained  their  eleventh  year, 
are  drafted  into  the  ranks  as  drummers  or  pipers ; 
when  they  subsequently  increase  in  strength  they 
advance  to  the  musket.  On  the  whole,  a  military 
anarchy  may  be  almost  said  to  reign  predominant ; 
and  it  is  indeed  an  arduous  undertaking  for  the 
colonel  to  keep  order  among  these  undisciplined 
troops.  Their  present  commander,  however,  appears 
to  be  better  fitted  to  the  task,  and  also  to  have  the 
design  of  paying  greater  attention  to  the  subject ; 
for  he  insists  upon  a  more  rigid  discipline,  but  will 
tolerate  no  ill-treatment ;  and  I  am  convinced  that 
he  is  most  likely  to  succeed  in  bringing  about  an 


THE  TROOPS.  207 

improved  subordination,  as  everything  may  be  ex- 
pected from  the  negroes  by  stimulating  their 
ambition. 

The  Bedouins,  those  children  of  the  desrrt, 
enticed  by  vain  promises  from  their  native  plain-. 
to  them  still  dear,  though  neglected  by  nature,  are 
to  be  pitied  indeed;  for  they  have  but  slight  hopes 
of  ever  being  able  to  return  to  their  homes ;  receive 
a  miserable  pay  after  waiting  for  it  for  a  long  time, 
like  the  rest  of  the  troops ;  and  are  expected  to  find 
themselves  in  clothing,  horses,  and  accoutrements 
out  of  their  own  pockets.  Their  sheikh  must  supply 
all  deficiencies,  and  if  a  man  lose  his  horse  is  forced 
to  procure  him  another,  whilst  the  Bedouin  has  to 
resign  all  claims  on  pay,  until  the  sum  the  new 
animal  cost  is  defrayed ;  and  thus  it  often  happens 
that  the  poor  fellow  must  serve  during  three  or  five 
years  gratuitously.  The  government  allows  no  com- 
pensation, even  if  the  horse  be  killed  on  actual 
service.  It  will  now  be  understood  what  kind  of 
services  may  be  expected  from  these  men.  Although 
they  are  not  deficient  in  personal  valour,  in  cases 
where  it  is  required,  and  are  certainly  equal  to  the 
rest  of  the  troops  in  courage  and  bravery,  if  they  do 
not  surpass  them;  yet  they  never  confidently  inert 
the  enemy,  as  a  natural  consequence  of  this  absurd 
system,  for  they  are  always  thinking  of  their  hordes. 
on  these  occasions,  and  often  take  to  flight  at  the 
most  decisive  moment,  to  avoid  sustaining  a  loflB. 
It  has  frequently  even  happened  on  slave-limit- 


208  THE  TROOPS. 

in  which  service  they  are  generally  employed,  that 
the  van-guard,  on  being  surprised  by  the  enemy, 
has  turned  to  the  right  about  in  disorderly  flight, 
and  thrown  the  infantry,  by  which  it  was  to  be 
supported,  into  confusion ;  so  that  the  latter  were 
obliged  to  retreat  in  all  haste,  and  to  form  again,  in 
order  to  stand  the  charge  of  the  pursuing  enemy. 
If  the  government  were  to  treat  the  Mogghrebeen 
like  the  rest  of  the  cavalry,  and  when  they  had  lost  a 
horse  in  service,  were  to  provide  them  with  another, 
or  at  least  to  allow  some  proper  indemnification,  they 
would  prove  a  far  more  efficient  body  of  men.  This 
corps  is,  moreover,  not  treated  as  it  deserves ;  for  if 
one  of  them  happen  to  be  on  the  sick  list  he  is  not 
even  admitted  into  the  infirmary.  Certainly,  as  far  as 
my  experience  bears  me  out,  they  are  far  better  off  in 
this  respect  than  those  who  have  the  misfortune  to 
be  received  into  the  hospital  at  Lobeid,  whilst  under 
the  direction  of  medical  men  who  have  pursued  the 
whole  course  of  their  studies  from  beginning  to  end 
at  Abusabel.*  There  is  more  discontent  among 
these  Bedouins  or  Mogghrebeen,  as  they  are  also 
termed,  (although  they  constitute  the  less  number 
of  the  body,)  than  in  any  other  corps.  The  greater 
part  of  them  are  quartered  at  Lobeid,  the  rest  are 
distributed  over  the  country,  where  they  perform  a 
species  of  gens  d'armes  duty.  The  circumstance  of 

*  Situated  at  a  distance  of  four  hours'  march  from  Cairo.  This 
school  was  subsequently  removed  to  Cairo  at  the  advice  of  Prince 
Piickler-Muskau. 


THE  TROOPS.  209 

their  being  used  by  the  government  as  catchpolls, 
and  the  excess  of  which  they  are  frequently  guilty 
in  their  ill-humour  and  discontent,  render  them 
obnoxious  to  the  natives,  and  they  themselves  take 
no  pains  to  heal  the  breach  or  to  remove  this  ill 
impression.  They  are  of  robust  constitution,  and 
can  defy  the  climate  and  all  weather.  An  in- 
stance presenting  the  opportunity  of  convincing 
myself  of  their  capability  of  bearing  more  than 
ordinary  men  came  under  my  own  observation. 
It  appears,  indeed,  an  adventure  a  la  Munch- 
hausen,  but  I  can  vouch  for  the  truth,  for  I  was 
not  the  only  person  present  at  the  time,  but  seve- 
ral thousands  witnessed  the  feat : — The  governor 
held  a  review  of  all  the  troops  prior  to  a  march,  the 
occasion  was  a  slave-hunt.  After  inspecting  the 
Mogghrebeen,  he  commanded  them  to  dismount ;  in 
the  confusion  attending  this  movement,  a  horse  broke 
loose  and  ran  away.  Some  of  the  men  pursued  it 
on  horseback,  whilst  others  endeavoured  to  catch  it 
on  foot :  and  thus  it  happened  that  a  Bedouin  who 
tried  to  stop  the  animal  came  in  collision  with  it, 
his  forehead,  indeed,  striking  the  front  of  the 
horse.  Both  man  and  beast  instantly  fell,  the  horse 
dead  on  the  spot,  but  the  man  survived  the  shock 
for  several  days. 

Their  arms  consist  of  a  long  gun,  two  pistols,  and 
a  sabre ;  their  colours  are  a  green  silk  flag,  which 
they  regard  as  sacred,  and  two  kettle-drums  at- 
tached to  the  saddle-bow  of  the  drummers  are 

P 


210  THE  TROOPS. 

beaten  on  a  march  by  way  of  music,  which  is,  of 
course,  very  monotonous.  These  troops  are  irregu- 
lars, and  their  attacks  are  always  made  with  im- 
petuosity, and  in  the  greatest  disorder.  Hence 
the  first  moment  is  decisive,  whether  they  shall 
keep  the  ground,  or  seek  their  safety  in  a  precipi- 
tate flight. 

The  third  detachment  of  troops,  stationed  in  Kor- 
dofan,  consists  of  about  forty  men  of  artillery.  I 
have  been  present  at  their  ball  practice,  and  have, 
therefore,  had  the  opportunity  of  convincing  myself 
of  their  performances.  Of  fifty  balls  scarcely  one 
hit  the  target,  and  even  the  successful  shot  must  be. 
ascribed  to  perfect  chance,  for  the  men  have  not 
the  slightest  conception  of  charging  or  pointing 
their  guns.  The  pieces  of  ordnance  are  in  a  most 
lamentable  condition ;  the  carriages,  warped  by  the 
excessive  heat,  give  no  firmness  to  their  bearings, 
and  the  officers  and  men  have  no  idea  of  remedying 
the  defect.  Repair  is  totally  out  of  the  question, 
and  thus  these  field-pieces  are  dragged  about  from 
place  to  place,  as  long  as  it  is  possible,  when  their 
services  are  required,  charged,  pointed  at  hazard  at 
the  object  against  which  they  are  employed,  and 
fired  without  further  consideration.  The  effect  of 
their  balls  may  be  easily  guessed ;  during  the  first 
slave-hunts,  when  they  attacked  a  hill,  several  shots 
were  generally  fired  at  an  object  without  one  ball 
ever  taking  effect.  The  negroes  were,  indeed, 
alarmed  at  the  terrible  report,  and  even  put  to  the 


THE   TROOPS.  211 

rout ;  but  they  soon  became  accustomed  to  the 
noise,  and,  subsequently,  paid  but  little  attention  to 
it,  when  they  perceived  no  other  effect  than  noise 
and  smoke.  The  artillery  men  are  all  Turks,  and 
when  they  are  enlisted  at  Cairo  no  one  questions 
what  their  prior  occupation  consisted  in ;  it  is,  in 
fact,  all  the  same  whether  they  were  shoemakers  or 
tailors  by  trade,  they  are  enrolled  as  artillery,  and 
must,  henceforth,  act  in  that  capacity. 

The  military,  in  general,  have  a  great  deal  to 
suffer,  for,  besides  being  hated  by  the  people,  as 
the  executioners  of  the  cruel  punishments  to  which 
the  poor  natives  are  frequently  condemned  by  the 
government,  they  do  not  lead  the  most  agreeable 
life  themselves,  inasmuch  as  they  are  only  paid  once 
a-year.  They  are  obliged  to  serve  for  the  term  of 
their  natural  lives,  and  are  nothing  but  slaves  in  the 
strictest  sense  of  the  word.  If  a  man  fall  sick, 
he  is,  indeed,  admitted  into  the  hospital,  but  this 
is  a  perfect  place  of  horror  to  the  soldier,  for, 
as  soon  as  he  enters  the  infirmary,  he  may  make 
his  will  and  prepare  for  his  latter  end,  so  few  are 
fortunate  enough  to  escape  with  their  lives.  It 
would  really  be  more  humane  to  allow  the  soldiers 
to  cure  themselves  after  their  own  fashion ;  and 
I  am  convinced  that  the  majority  of  those  literally 
murdered  by  the  doctors  and  apothecaries  from 
si i cor  ignorance,  would  be  yet  living  to  put  them 
to  the  blush.  Before  I  was  aware  of  the  frightful 
mortality  in  thr  hospitals,  I  expressed  my  sorrow 


212  THE   TROOPS. 

for  the  poor  Mogghrebeen  who  are  refused  ad- 
mission, and  severely  censured  the  government  for 
its  cruelty ;  but  I  subsequently  convinced  myself 
that  they  have  every  reason  to  think  themselves 
fortunate  in  not  being  received  into  those  houses 
of  slaughter.  I  procured,  indeed,  the  bills  of 
mortality  of  the  regiment,  and  that  of  the  corps 
of  Mogghrebeen,  compared  the  number  of  deaths 
amongst  the  three  thousand  troops  of  the  line  and 
the  number  of  patients  in  the  hospital,  with  those  of 
the  eight  hundred  men,  Bedouins,  who  receive  no 
medical  relief,  but  cure  themselves  by  domestic 
remedies,  and  found  a  result  of  twenty-seven  per 
cent,  of  deaths  among  those  killed  in  the  hospital 
above  the  rate  of  mortality  of  the  Mogghre- 
been, who  are  left  entirely  to  themselves.  The 
Egyptian  doctors  and  apothecaries,  scarcely  escaped 
from  the  elementary  schools  and  placed  on  their 
own  footing,  treat  the  sick  soldiers  like  cattle, 
never  dream  of  diagnosis,  prescribe  whatever  enters 
their  heads,  and  care  very  little  whether  they  save 
a  man's  life  or  murder  him. 

The  hospital  consists  of  a  few  hovels  of  clay, 
covered  with  a  straw  roofing ;  they  are  ill-venti- 
lated, and,  in  the  wet  season,  the  rain  beats  in 
upon  the  sick  soldiers  through  the  narrow  windows, 
as  they  are  not  furnished  with  glass ;  the  cold 
nights,  moreover,  prove  very  severe  trials,  espe- 
cially to  those  who  are  suffering  from  small-pox. 
The  invalid  lies  on  an  angareb,  and  is  left  to  his 


THE  TROOPS.  213 

late.  The  medical  man  hurries  through  the  whole 
hospital  in  one  single  visit,  which  he  pays  after 
sunrise,  prescribes  what  he  has  been  reading  up 
for  the  occasion  at  home,  without  inquiring  into 
the  disease,  and  every  order  is  given  on  the  prin- 
ciple of  "Allah  kerim !"  I  have  several  times 
had  the  opportunity  of  convincing  myself  of  the 
unparalleled  neglect  with  which  the  hospital  pa- 
tients are  treated,  for,  on  my  arrival  at  Lobeid, 
I  found  but  one  European  medical  man,  Dr.  Iken, 
a  native  of  Hanover,  who  was  too  ill  to  do  duty, 
and  shortly  afterwards  died.  It  is  a  common 
saying,  that  an  apothecary  is  no  physician,  and, 
vice  versa  ;  but  we  know  by  experience  that 
there  are  many  apothecaries  who  are  suffici- 
ently well  educated  to  be  able  to  prescribe  a 
remedy  in  cases  of  urgent  necessity ;  we  may, 
however,  form  an  idea  of  the  want  of  medical 
knowledge  of  an  Arabian  apothecary,  when  the 
doctor  of  medicine  is  himself  ignorant,  and  we 
may  also  guess  what  the  poor  patients  who  fall 
into  their  hands  have  to  expect  or  suffer  between 
them.  In  Europe,  the  sick  soldier  is  desirous  of 
being  admitted  into  the  hospital,  because  he  N 
convinced  that  he  will  there  receive  speedy  and 
certain  relief.  In  Lobeid,  the  contrary  is  ol>>erve<l. 
for  the  invalided  men  are  obliged  to  be  <1  ragged 
to  the  infirmary  by  force,  because  they  stand  in  so 
much  awe  of  this  terrible  place,  that  every  <li>- 
ease  increases  a^  soon  a^  they  know  that  they 


214  THE  TROOPS. 

are  to  enter  the  establishment ;  and  thus  the 
greater  number  keep  their  sufferings  secret  as  long 
as  they  possibly  can.  The  apothecary  who  per- 
formed the  duty  of  the  medical  man  in  the  infir- 
mary paid  his  visit  once  daily,  and,  on  his  arrival 
there,  it  depended,  properly  speaking,  on  the  nurses 
what  medicines  the  patients  should  take.  Of  these 
subordinate  functionaries,  even,  there  was  a  great 
deficiency,  for,  as  fast  as  they  arrived  from  Cairo, 
they  were  taken  off  their  duties  and  employed 
by  the  doctor  and  apothecary  in  private  practice ; 
for  by  these  means  they  were  enabled  to  earn  more 
than  their  pay,  for  which  they  always  had  to  wait 
twelve  months.  This  extensive  apothecary,  who 
acted  in  the  capacity  of  pharmaceutist  and  me- 
dical man,  usually  commenced  a  categorical  con- 
versation with  the  nurse,  without  seeing  any  one 
of  the  patients ;  the  following  dialogue  took  place 
during  one  of  my  visits  to  the  establishment. 

Apothecary. — "  How  is  No.  1  ?" 

Nurse. — "  He  is  still  feverish." 

ApotJi. — "  It  cannot  be  helped,  for  I  have  not 
had  a  drachm  of  quinine  for  several  months  past, 
and  I  have  no  other  febrifuge ;  he  will  get  better 
in  time  without  physic.  How  is  No.  2  ?" 

Nurse. — "  He  died  last  night." 

Apotk. — "  And  is  No.  3  no  better  ?" 

Nurse. — "  He  wants  nothing  further,  for  in  two 
or  three  days  he  will  be  dead." 
«  How  is  No.  7?" 


THE  TROOPS.  215 

Nurse. — "  I  don't  understand  his  complaint.  The 
patients  tell  me  he  has  not  been  able  to  sleep  for 
the  last  four  nights ;  he  has  no  appetite,  and  is 
continually  vomiting." 

Apoth. — (Making  up  some  tincture  of  opium, 
which  he  gives  to  the  nurse.}  "  There,  that  is  to 
make  him  sleep.  I  know  nothing  about  the  other 
symptoms,  What  does  No.  8  say  for  himself? 
has  his  dysentery  diminished  ?" 

Nurse. — "  No,  it  has  rather  increased,  and  it 
will  probably  be  all  over  with  him  this  evening, 
so  he  wants  nothing  more ;  but  No.  9  may  be  dis- 
charged to-day." 

Apoth.—"  How  is  No.  35  ?" 

Nurse. — "I  think  he  ought  to  be  bled,  for  the 
inflammation  increases." 

Apoth. — "  I  will  have  nothing  at  all  to  do  with 
venesection,  for  I  might  be  placed  in  the  same  un- 
pleasant position  as  Dr.  Ali  Effendi,  from  wrhose 
pay  three  hundred  piasters  were  deducted,  because 
he  divided  the  artery  in  performing  the  operation, 
and  the  soldier  was  invalided.  Is  there  no  in- 
crease ?" 

Nurse. — "  Three  patients ;  two  fevers,  and  I  don't 
know  what  is  the  matter  with  the  third,  but  my 
comrades  think  it  is  gout." 

From  this  short  dialogue,  we  may  conclude  how 
the  hospital  at  Lobeid  is  managed,  and  what  con- 
dition the  poor  patients  who  are  sighing  for  relief 
must  be  in.  No  medicine,  no  attention,  and  a 


216  THE  TROOPS. 

hard  couch  !  My  heart  misgave  me  every  time 
I  entered  this  place  of  misery,  and  saw  the  cool 
deliberation  with  which  the  poor  sick  soldiers  are 
murdered,  in  the  strictest  sense  of  the  word.  If 
the  other  inhabitants  of  Lobeid  died  in  the  same 
ratio,  the  capital  of  Kordofan  would  be  totally 
depopulated  in  less  than  fifty  years. 


PRODUCTS.  217 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


PRODUCTS. 


THE  two  seasons  prevailing  in  this  country  and 
so  strongly  defined,  are  the  chief  reason  why  the 
ground  does  not  yield  as  many  products  as  might 
be  obtained  by  the  assistance  of  art;  for,  if  field 
and  garden  fruits  were  cultivated  with  the  utmost 
care  during  the  dry  season,  no  success  could  be 
expected,  as  there  is  a  total  want  of  water  where- 
with to  irrigate  the  plants,  and,  in  the  wet  season, 
the  rain  beats  down  with  such  force  that  it  would 
wash  all  small  plants  out  of  .the  earth  ;  hence  agri- 
culture is  confined  to  articles  which  thrive  with- 
out much  attention,  and  proceed  quickly  to  matu- 
rity. I  have  no  doubt  that,  if  wells  were  sunk 
and  large  reservoirs  excavated  to  collect,  during 
the  rainy  months,  the  quantity  of  water  necessary 
for  the  irrigation  of  the  soil  during  the  ensuing 
dry  season,  many  vegetables  might  be  produced 
which  it  is  now  quite  impossible  to  rear.  There 
a iv  no  running  stivams,  and  the  few  small  lake-, 
or  rather  ponds,  met  with  in  the  country,  are  not 
supplied  with  water  throughout  the  year,  and  are. 


218  PRODUCTS. 

moreover,  very  inconsiderable  when  compared  with 
the  extent  of  arable  land. 

Horticulture  is  limited  to  certain  spots,  and,  ex- 
cepting at  Bara  and  some  other  small  villages, 
where  there  is  plenty  of  water,  no  gardens  are  to 
be  seen  in  the  whole  province.  The  wants  of  the 
natives  who  live  in  fixed  places  of  residence  are 
not  such  as  they  may  supply  by  cultivating  gardens ; 
and  the  frequent  change  of  residence  is  a  yet 
greater  hindrance  to  the  nomades  from  occupying 
themselves  with  tillage  of  the  ground.  The  blame, 
however,  is  chiefly  to  be  attributed  to  the  govern- 
ment, who  would  lay  their  hands  upon  the  har- 
vest, or  levy  large  contributions  upon  it,  which 
the  natives  would  not  be  able  to  pay.  When 
the  Egyptians  first  took  possession  of  the  country, 
under  the  Defturdar,  they  found  merely  dokn,  a  lit- 
tle douhra,  water-melons,  bamiyeh,  meluchia  (lentils), 
onions,  and  tobacco.  The  Defturdar's  army,  there- 
fore, suffered  greatly  from  want  of  provisions,  un- 
til it  was  supplied  from  the  stores  in  the  north, 
and  the  necessary  articles  of  consumption  were 
subsequently  produced  in  the  country.  Since 
these  times,  the  Turks,  who  have  become  residents, 
and  the  Dongolavi  have  cultivated  gardens,  in  which 
they  now  grow  wheat,  bedingajoti*  (Poradies-iiep- 
felf ),  small  beans,  radishes,  celery,  dill,  and  garlic  ; 
some  vineyards  have  been  planted,  as  also  pome- 

*  Solanum  Lycopersicum. — TR. 

t  Citrus  Decumana,  the  shaddock? — TR. 


PRODUCTS.  219 

granates,  lemon  trees,  Indian  and  common  figs.  In 
the  larger  plantations  sim-siin,  ful-Darfur  (beans 
from  Darfour),  rice,  and  cotton  are  grown.  It  is, 
however,  by  mere  chance  if  garden  fruits,  or  green 
vegetables,  are  ever  seen  exposed  for  sale  in  the 
market  place  at  Lobeid ;  weeks  frequently  pass  with- 
out any  such  luxuries  coming  to  sight,  for  the  gar- 
deners are  very  far  backward  in  their  art,  and  take 
but  little  pains  to  produce  any  plants.  The  natives,  in 
fact,  leave  the  cultivation  of  the  gardens,  like  every- 
thing else,  to  chance,  and  do  not  give  the  vegetation 
the  slightest  assistance,  so  that  it  is  really  by  mere 
hazard  if  anything  thrive.  Should  the  traveller 
wish  to  obtain  vegetables  for  his  own  consumption 
during  his  residence  in  this  country,  he  must  make  a 
kind  of  agreement  with  the  proprietor  of  a  garden  to 
deliver  the  produce  of  the  season  at  his  house ;  for 
to  wait  for  what  might  be  exhibited  in  the  market, 
would  be,  indeed,  to  wait  in  vain,  as  such  an  exhi- 
bition is,  in  the  first  place,  according  to  my  former 
statement,  of  very  rare  occurrence,  and  vegetables 
are  only  offered  publicly  for  sale  when  all  the 
private  consumers  are  supplied,  and  there  is  a  sur- 
plus of  one  or  the  other  production.  The  vegetables 
indigenous  in  temperate  climates  are  not  of  the 
same  succulent  quality  in  this  country,  partly  because 
they  are  not  properly  attended  to,  and  partly  because 
the  tropical  climate  causes  them  to  grow  too  luxu- 
riantly to  arrive  at  the  same  state  of  perfection  in 
which  we  obtain  them  in  Europe,  (irapes  ripen  twice 


1 


220  PRODUCTS. 

in  the  year,  but  the  leaves  must  be  gathered  off  the 
vines,  or  all  the  sap  will  be  exhausted  by  the  foli- 
age and  tendrils,  and  no  grapes  will  be  formed. 
Those  which  ripen  in  the  month  of  August  are  very 
watery,  those,  on  the  other  hand,  which  come  to  per- 
fection at  the  end  of  December  are  very  sweet.  A 
great  number  of  lime-trees  are  planted  in  the  gar- 
dens, but  the  lemons  are  too  small,  have  but  little 
juice  and  acidity,  and  are  quite  exsiccated  in  a  few 
days  after  they  have  been  gathered  from  the  trees. 
The  orange  tree  produces  no  fruit,  for  it  is  not  suited 
to  the  climate.  Indian  (cactus)  and  Syrian  figs  bear 
fruit,  but  not  of  the  best  quality.  The  same  obser- 
vation applies  to  other  garden  productions :  they 
have  not  the  flavour  that  might  be  expected,  and  do 
not  in  general  attain  their  full  size,  for  all  plants 
form  too  much  leaf  to  produce  sound  and  good  fruit. 
Thus  even  onions  are  too  sweet  in  taste,  of  small 
dimension,  and  without  the  slightest  acridity.  Salad 
is  not  to  be  met  with.  The  water-melons,  which 
are  chiefly  cultivated  in  Dar-Hammer,  are  not  of  an 
agreeable  flavour.  The  fruit  of  the  few  date-trees 
to  be  seen  in  the  province  ripens  during  the  rainy 
season,  is,  consequently,  very  watery,  and  will  not 
keep  for  any  time,  like  the  dates  of  Egypt,  but  de- 
composes shortly  after  it  is  gathered.  Sim- Sim  is 
largely  cultivated,  whence  the  natives  express  an  oil 
used  in  the  preparation  of  their  pomatum ;  for 
they  never  burn  oil,  and,  if  they  wish  to  illuminate 
their  tukkoli  at  night-time,  light  a  wood-fire.  Wheat 


PRODUCTS. 

is  grown  in  some  few  places,  but  only  in  small  quan- 
tities, and  in  the  dry  season,  indeed,  by  artificial 
irrigation  ;  a  sufficient  supply  for  the  few  Turk  Mi  re- 
sidents during  a  few  months  is,  however,  merelv.  pro- 
duced, and  even  they  are  obliged  to  eat  dokn-bread 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  year.  This  description 
of  corn  is  very  dear,  and  cost,  in  the  year  1838,  two 
hundred  piasters  (£2  18s.  4d.)  the  ardeb ;  whilst  in 
Egypt  the  value  of  the  same  quantity  rarely  exceeds 
the  sum  of  thirty  or  sixty  piasters.  Only  the  Bak- 
kara  cultivate  rice  on  the  borders  of  the  lakes  Arrat 
and  Pirget,  but  it  differs  totally  from  the  variety 
generally  met  with  in  commerce ;  for  it  is  small  in 
grain,  and  of  unpleasant  flavour.  The  greater  quan- 
tity of  rice  consumed  in  Kordofan,  by  the  Turks  more 
especially,  is  imported,  therefore,  from  Egypt.  Cotton 
is  grown  in  very  inconsiderable  quantities,  in  pro- 
portion to  the  demand  for  this  article ;  in  fact,  not 
one-third  of  the  quantity  consumed  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  their  calicoes.  It  is  of  the  finest  quality, 
and  resembles  that  of  Sennaar,*  well-known  in  the 
trade  in  Europe.  The  fibre  is  rather  longer  than 
that  of  the  Makkof  variety.  I  have  often  enquired 
of  the  natives,  why  they  do  not  attach  more  impor- 
tance to  the  cultivation  of  plants,  which  would 
prove  of  so  much  advantage  to  them,  since  they  are 
at  present  necessitated  to  purchase  the  calico  re- 
quired for  their  simple  clothing  at  a  very  high 
price ;  but  they  always  answered  me,  they  were 

*  Long-staple,  Sea  island,  Egyptian  cotton. 
•)•   Long  staple,  common  Egyptian  cotton. — TR. 


222  PRODUCTS. 

well  aware  that  the  growth  of  cotton  was  very  pro- 
fitable, but  they  had  no  desire  to  work  for  the 
soldiers  of  the  government,  as  they  knew  very  well 
that  they  would  leave  them  little  or  none  of  the 
cotton  produced,  and  they  should  therefore  be 
obliged  to  buy  the  cloth  for  their  own  consumption 
as  they  do  at  present ;  hence  they  save  themselves 
the  labour.  Indigo  would  thrive  very  well  in 
various  parts  of  Kordofan, — for  it  grows  spontane- 
ously in  some  districts, — and  its  cultivation  would 
prove  a  source  of  great  profit  to  the  government. 
Experiments  have  been  already  made,  and  have  fur- 
nished indigo  of  a  .quality  superior  to  that  of  Egypt ; 
but  the  government  pays  no  attention  to  this  sub- 
ject, and  the  natives  are  far  too  ignorant  to  stumble 
upon  an  object  of  so  much  importance  without  a 
hint  from  some  kind  friend. 

All  the  articles  above  mentioned  are  reared  in 
gardens,  the  cultivation  of  which  is  entrusted  to 
slaves.  The  irrigation  is  effected  artificially  by 
means  of  draw-wells.  As  soon  as  the  rainy  season 
is  at  an  end,  every  native  hastens  to  put  his  gar- 
den in  order,  which  during  the  former  period  had 
been,  as  it  were,  lying  fallow ;  for  if  any  one  were  to 
venture  to  sow  or  plant  during  the  period  of  the 
rains,  he  must  expect  everything  either  to  be 
washed  out  of  the  earth  by  the  violent  showers,  or 
to  rot  before  it  arrived  at  maturity.  Very  few 
articles  are,  therefore,  cultivated,  and  these  merely 
where  the  position  of  the  land  is  suitable.  The 
absolute  tillage,  or  treatment  of  the  soil,  requires 


PRODUCTS.  223 

but  slight  trouble,  for  the  clods  of  earth  are 
simply  broken  by  means  of  a  short-pointed  stick, 
beaten  into  mould  with  a  rather  thicker  staff,  ami 
then  levelled  with  the  hand,  or  with  the  same  in- 
strument. The  seed  is  now  sown,  and  covered  with 
a  little  earth ;  and  small  furrows  are  made  in  the  va- 
rious beds,  which  are  daily  watered  from  a  draw-well. 
Agriculture,  in  general,  is  confined  to  dockn,  a  spe- 
cies of  field-fruit  which  may  be  compared  to  the 
millet,  from  which  it  however  differs  in  the  circum- 
stance that  the  stalk,  with  the  inflorescence,  attains 
the  height  of  seven  or  eight  feet.  It  is  the  only 
species  of  grain  used  by  the  inhabitants  of  Kordo- 
fan  and  the  bordering  countries,  and  is  indispensable 
to  them  for  their  bread.  It  is  a  very  exuberant  and 
profitable  plant,  and  is  cultivated  everywhere  through- 
out the  whole  province.  The  fields  in  which  the 
dockn  grows  are  generally  very  large,  and  many  of 
them  are  situated  in  the  forests.  To  render  these 
woodland  tracts  arable,  the  trees  are  hewn  down  to 
the  height  of  a  man;  by  the  next  year  they  are 
dry — when  fires  are  lighted,  the  stems  being  burnt  at 
the  same  time  with  the  brushwood.  These  fields  do 
not  require  as  much  labour  and  attention  as  our 
corn-fields.  The  natives  are  not  acquainted  with 
the  plough,  the  harrow,  or,  in  fact,  with  any  other 
civilized  engine  of  husbandry;  a  single  falciform 
piece  of  iron,  pointed  at  either  extremity,  and  fur- 
nished in  the  centre  with  a  staff,  answers  the  pur- 
p<»se  of  all  necessary  implements.  This  instrument 
i»  called  a  hashash,  and  is  to  be  found  in  every  hut  ; 


224  PRODUCTS. 

thus  all  the  agricultural  utensils  of  a  Kordofanese 
peasant  cost  twenty  paras  (little  more  than  three-half- 
pence). After  the  fall  of  the  first  rain  the  grass  is 
raked  up  in  the  fields,  and  preparations  are  made  for 
sowing,  an  occupation  requiring  the  services  of  two 
persons  only ;  the  one  walks  before  the  other, 
making,  at  about  every  two  paces,  a  hole  with 
the  hashash  in  the  sandy  soil,  in  which  his  com- 
panion each  time  places  a  few  seeds,  and  then 
treads  down  the  hole  with  his  right  foot.  This 
operation  is  performed  with  extraordinary  rapidity. 
The  ensuing  rain  imparts  to  the  ground  the  neces- 
sary moisture,  and  as  soon  as  the  rainy  season  ter- 
minates the  fruit  ripens.  The  chief  condition  for  a 
successful  harvest  is,  that  an  over  abundance  of  rain 
do  not  injure  the  seed,  and  on  this  account  the  field 
should  be  situated  on  a  declivity,  that  the  water 
may  run  off;  but  if  too  little  rain  fall,  a  failure 
is  likewise  the  result.  With  the  straw  the  natives 
build  their  tukkoli ;  the  remainder  is  consumed  as 
food  by  the  cattle.  The  grain  is  thrashed  out  in 
the  field,  laden  upon  camels  or  oxen,  and  brought 
into  the  village,  where  it  is  shot  into  pits  lined  with 
straw  mats,  and  subsequently  covered  over  with 
sand.  The  latter  proceeding  is  chiefly  for  the  pur- 
pose of  securing  the  produce  from  the  over-abun- 
dant vermin,  and  frequently  also  from  the  rapacity 
of  the  government. 

Besides  this  species  of  grain  a  small  quantity  of 
douhra  may  be  met  with,  and  I  doubt  very  much 


PRODUCTS. 

whether  a  species  of  corn  of  the  temperate  zone 
nii^lit  be  cultivated  with  more  profit  or  with  the 
same  facility  as  the  dockn.  It  happens,  however,  in 
some  years  that  the  necessary  quantity  is  not  grown, 
and  then  whole  villages  are  frequently  necessitated 
to  betake  themselves  to  the  woods,  and  live  upon 
the  egelit,*  a  fruit  of  the  size  of  a  plum,  of  a  yellow- 
ish colour,  and  pulpy  consistence,  which  has  not  an 
unpleasant  flavour.  Kordofan  is  altogether  blest 
with  many  useful  trees  notwithstanding  its  poverty 
in  other  respects,  and  an  addition  might  be  made  to 
their  number  with  very  little  artificial  aid,  were  the 
inhabitants  not  too  lazy  and  too  stolid  to  engage 
with  energy  in  any  undertaking,  whilst  the  govern- 
ment, on  the  other  hand,  only  directs  its  attention 
to  those  objects  which  return  an  immediate  profit. 

Among  the  most  useful  trees  growing  without 
cultivation,  must  be  reckoned  :  the  gum-tree,  the 
tamarind,  the  beautiful  tabaldi,  and  the  egelit  be- 
fore mentioned.  The  gum-tree  (mimosa  Nilotica)  as 
it  is  termed  in  books,  merits  a  different  denomi- 
nation in  Kordofan,  for  the  shape  of  the  tree,  its 
leaves  and  spines,  differ  materially  from  those  of  the 
mimosa  Nilotica,  properly  so  called.  The  latter 
tree  yields  common  gum  only,  whereas  that  of  Kor- 
dofan is  of  the  finest  description,  so  that  it  is  errone- 
distinguished  by  the  name  of  gum-Arabic. 


*  Heglig,  of  Browne;  Agihalid,  of  Adamson;  the  Balanites 
l\Lryptiaca  in  the  Dearrfj'tiii/i  </•'  /'/-.}////>/<•,  jwMict'  ]>ar  Fanckoucke. 
Forskael  mentions  the  fruit  of  the  eglit,  but  not  the  tree.  —  TR. 

Q 


226  PRODUCTS. 

In  some  parts  of  the  country,  the  mimosa  forms 
whole  forests  of  vast  extent;  but  the  district  of 
Bara  furnishes  the  largest  quantity  of  gum.  The 
harvest  is  modified  by  the  annual  fall  of  rain,  for,  if 
it  rain  much,  the  trees  sweat  the  more.  The  gum 
exudes  from  the  bark  of  the  stem  and  large  branch- 
es, nearly  in  the  same  manner  as  the  resinous  ex- 
udation from  the  cherry-trees  of  Europe.  In  dig- 
ging for  a  beetle,  I  casually  observed  that  the  gum 
proceeds  from  the  root  also.  Sennaar,  which  is  situa- 
ted under  the  same  degree  of  latitude  as  Kordofan, 
yields  a  far  less  quantity  of  this  product.  The  gather- 
ing takes  place  a  few  months  after  the  rain,  in  the 
months  of  December,  January,  and  February,  it  is  an 
exceedingly  profitable  affair  to  the  government,  and 
therefore  a  monopoly.  But  even  in  this  undertaking, 
the  Egyptians  act  with  unparalleled  neglect,  and  do 
not  interfere  when  they  see  wiiole  forests  of  gum- 
trees  hewn  down,  and  the  ground  converted  into 
dockn  fields,  although  immense  tracts  of  the  country 
far  better  adapted  for  arable  land  remain  uncultivated, 
by  making  use  of  which,  the  gum-trees  would  be 
spared.  But  the  government  does  not  trouble  it- 
self about  such  trifles,  it  merely  scrapes  together 
that  which  comes  within  its  reach  without  paying 
the  slightest  attention  to  ulterior  consequences.  Of 
the  plantation  of  young  trees  and  the  extirpation 
of  such  as  are  unprofitable,  it  has  no  idea,  nature 
must  attend  to  that  business. 

The  Garrat,*  whose  pod  is  employed  in  tanning, 
*  The  Acacia — TR. 


PRODUCTS.  '2'27 

and  the  tamarisk  (tamarindus  Indica)  are  likewise 
frequently  seen  in  the  province,  but  not  in  the  same 
abundance  as  the  gum-tree.  The  pods  of  the  tama- 
rind are  collected  and  trodden  into  the  form  of 
cakes,  which  are  dried,  and  either  kept  for  domestic 
use  or  converted  into  commodity.  A  large  quan- 
tity of  this  production  is  consumed  in  the  country. 
This  tree  suffers  greatly  by  the  locusts ;  for  sometimes 
the  inflorescence,  sometimes  the  fruit,  is  totally  de- 
voured by  these  destructive  insects,  and  in  those 
years,  there  is,  of  course,  a  scarcity  of  this  fruit  in 
many  villages. 

The  Tabaldi  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  specimens 
of  the  vegetable  kingdom  indigenous  in  this  coun- 
try. When  in  blossom,  the  majestic  tree  is  nearly 
covered  with  flowers,  resembling  those  of  the  double 
red  hollyhock,  and,  at  a  distance,  gives  the  idea 
of  hills  covered  with  roses,  while  the  eye  rests  with 
delight  on  so  beautiful  an  object.  It  blooms  at  the 
commencement  of  August :  the  sarcocarp  is  three- 
quarters  of  a  foot  in  length,  interiorly  divided  into 
many  cells,  each  of  which  includes  a  stone.  The 
fruit  is  of  a  pleasing  acidulous  flavour,  but  causes 
diarrhoea  in  those  who  are  not  accustomed  to  eat  it ; 
it  is,  however,  also  employed  for  allaying  dysentery; 
but,  to  produce  this  opposite  effect,  it  must  be  eaten 
iu  large  quantities.  The  stems  of  these  trees  mea- 
sure sometimes  more  than  forty  feet  in  circum- 
ference, ami  the  wood  is  as  hard  as  ebony;  their 
:i(ire  may  be  estimated  at  thousands  of  years.  Of 

Q  2 


£28  PRODUCTS. 

the  fruit  of  the  Doum  palm*  and  fan-shaped  palm,f 
the  outer  skin  is  eaten,  and  a  kind  of  syrup  is  also 
obtained  from  them. 

Besides  the  trees  above-mentioned,  there  is  an 
innumerable  variety  of  plants  which  spring  up  from 
the  ground  in  full  luxuriance  after  the  first  rain, 
and  convert  the  whole  province  into  a  most  beauti- 
ful flower-garden.  I  am  too  little  versed  in  botany 
to  be  expected  to  give  a  full  description  of  all  the 
plants  found  in  the  country,  more  especially  as 
there  are  many  species  not  yet  mentioned  in  any 
botanical  work  ;  but  I  am  convinced  that  Kordofan 
would  prove  a  very  interesting  field  to  any  botanist 
who  would  take  the  trouble  to  explore  it  by  travel- 
ling there  for  a  lengthened  period.  Dr.  Rueppell 
and  Mr.  Kotschy  spent  too  short  a  time  in  the 
country,  and  visited,  moreover,  too  few  places  to  be 
able  to  make  valuable  collections. 

The  animal  kingdom  affords  a  no  less  fertile 
source  of  instruction  and  amusement  in  this  country. 
Among  domestic  animals  we  have  the  horse,  the 
camel,  the  ass,  the  mule,  the  cow,  the  sheep,  the 
goat,  the  dog,  the  cat,  fowls  and  pigeons ;  and  of 
wild  beasts :  lions,  giraffes,  leopards,  panthers,  two 
varieties  of  hyaenas,  jackals,  about  ten  species  of 
antelopes,  some  of  which  are  not  yet  known  in 
Europe:  further,  monkeys,  three  varieties  of  wild  cats, 
hares,  hedge-hogs,  black  and  yellow  mice,  rats,  and 

*  Cucifera  thebaica,  in  the  Description  de  VEgypte. — TR. 
t  Faecher  palme,  Borassus  flabelliformis,  of  Forskael — TR. 


PRODUCTS.  '2'2{) 

many  animals  yet  unknown,  are  to  be  met  with  in 
Kordofan  ;  elephants  and  rhinoceroses  are  rare;  occa- 
sionally, however,  one  or  the  other  of  these  animals 
may  be  seen  on  the  borders  of  the  country.  The 
province  is  very  rich  in  specimens  of  reptiles,  and 
tlic  boa  may  also  be  found. 

The  country  abounds  in  insects  of  every  descrip- 
tion, many  of  which  are  analogous,  or  very  similar,  to 
those  of  Senegal.  A  good  harvest  may  be  made  a 
month  before  the  rain,  during  the  whole  of  that  sea- 
son, and  at  the  most  a  month  after  it ;  during  the 
remainder  of  the  year  all  trouble  to  find  single  speci- 
mens even  is  in  vain.  Collecting  insects  formed  one 
of  my  chief  occupations  during  the  whole  of  my 
travels,  and  my  labours  were  rewarded  in  a  very 
extensive  display  of  the  various  specimens  of  the 
insects  of  Kordofan:  so  complete  a  collection  was, 
in  fact,  never  yet  brought  from  that  country  to 
Europe.  Entomology  might  have  been  benefited  by 
the  addition  of  many  new  species,  and  years  must 
transpire  before  so  copious  a  collection  will  again 
reach  Europe,  for  few  men  will  be  able  to  stand  eleven 
months  of  this  unhealthy  climate.  I  have  shed 
millions  of  drops  of  sweat  in  my  pursuit,  and  looked 
like  one  who  had  been  scourged  after  every  excursion, 
from  the  scratches  I  received  from  the  thorns,  with 
which  most  of  the  shrubs  and  trees  of  this  country 
are  furnished.  I  defied  all  weather  and  every  species 
of  danger  in  forming  this  cabinet  :  but.  unfortunately, 
all  my  trouble,  together  with  the  advantage-  eiito- 


230  PRODUCTS. 

mology  might  thence  have  reaped,  are  totally  lost — 
thanks  to  those  barbarians  of  the  lazaretto  at 
Trieste,  who  allowed  my  whole  collection,  consist- 
ing of  several  consignments,  to  spoil.  In  butterflies 
the  country  is  very  poor,  but  there  are  more  than 
a  hundred  different  species  of  flies. 

Among  the  feathered  tribe  there  are  birds  of  the 
most  beautiful  plumage  in  this  province,  and  many 
European  varieties,  even  those  of  Germany,  hiber- 
nate here.  The  grey  water-wagtail  may  more 
especially  be  met  with  in  myriads.  The  desert,  the 
woods,  even  the  huts  in  the  villages,  are  filled  with 
these  beautiful  creatures,  which  delight  the  eye  with 
their  magnificent  colours,  and  the  ear  with  their 
charming  song.  It  is,  indeed,  impossible  to  form  a 
conception  of  the  spectacle  they  afford  without 
having  seen  it.  New  species  arrive  with  every 
month,  whilst  others  migrate  until  the  proper  season 
recalls  them.  Eagles,  vultures,  parrots,  colibris,  a 
variety  of  aquatic  birds,  ostriches,  black  storks,  and 
the  ibis,  considered  holy  by  the  ancient  Egyptians, 
are  to  be  here  met  with  ;  the  latter  two  varieties  are 
the  chief  birds  of  Kordofan.  A  large  aquatic  bird 
saved  me  a  great  deal  of  trouble  in  collecting  shells 
in  the  marshes.  If  I  descried  one  of  these  birds  in 
the  vicinity  of  a  pond,  I  had  only  to  retreat  to  a 
distance  of  about  fifty  paces  from  it,  and  to  watch 
its  movements.  It  dived  beneath  the  water, 
and  always  brought  up  one  of  the  conchylia  in 
its  beak,  which  resembles  that  of  the  woodpecker, 


PRODUCTS.  231 

and  laid  it  on  the  sand  at  a  distance  of  a  few  paces 
from  the  water.  Its  prize  consisted  of  a  larger  or 
smaller  number  of  these  shells  according  to  their 
si/e.  It  generally  collected  about  twelve  on  one 
spot,  but  as  these  conchylia  are  bi valvular,  and  the 
one  shell  is  so  firmly  connected  with  the  other  that 
they  can  only  be  opened  with  a  knife,  it  had  to 
wait  until  the  rays  of  the  sun  performed  the  office 
for  it.  He  continually  walked  round  the  spot 
where  he  had  deposed  his  prey,  and  kept  his  eye 
upon  it.  As  soon,  however,  as  one  of  these  mollusca 
opened  its  shell  he  instantly  inserted  his  beak,  to 
pi-event  it  from  closing  it  again,  and  tore  it  asunder 
with  his  claw.  I  never  disturbed  him  in  his  work, 
for  he  saved  me  the  trouble  of  destroying  the 
animal  and  clearing  the  shell,  which,  as  I  knew  by 
experience,  he  seldom  entirely  separates. 

Kordofan  can  enumerate  no  running  streams ; 
the  fula  (ponds)  and  small  lakes  nearly  all  dry  up 
during  the  hot  season,  and  yet  fish,  differing  in  variety 
and  size,  are  to  be  found  in  this  province.  At  first, 
I  could  not  understand  this  apparent  anomaly, 
and  the  explanation  given  me  by  the  natives,  that 
the  fish  hide  themselves  in  the  mud,  appeared  to  me 
very  unsatisfactory,  for  it  becomes  in  time,  so  hard 
that  a  heavily  laden  waggon  might  pass  over  it,  and 
thi'  spawn  of  the  fish  remaining  would,  of  course,  be 
soon  destroyed  by  the  rays  of  the  sun.  The  natives, 
however,  firmly  believe  that  the  fish  are  preserved 
under  ground,  and  cmue  to  lite  again  in  three  <>r 


232  PRODUCTS. 

six  months'  time,  when  the  rain  has  softened  their 
bed.  I,  of  course,  could  not  give  credence  to  this 
version  of  the  story,  but  casually  made  a  discovery 
likely  to  throw  a  light  upon  the  subject.  I  one 
day  shot  a  wild  duck,  and  having  gutted  it,  pro- 
ceeded to  prepare  it  for  dinner ;  in  examining  the 
intestines,  I  found  a  quantity  of  fish  eggs.  Is  it 
not,  therefore,  probable  that  the  aquatic  birds,  which 
set  out  on  "their  migration  immediately  after  having 
gorged  themselves  with  spawn  on  the  White  Nile, 
and  take  to  the  water  again  on  their  arrival  in  Kor- 
dofan,  discharge  one  half  of  their  prey  in  an  un- 
digested form,  and  that  thus  the  fish  are  shortly 
hatched  ? 

The  horses  are  not  very  excellent,  or  of  pure 
Arabian  blood,  but  a  half-breed  between  Dongola 
horses  and  those  of  Berber  and  Darfur ;  they  are  not, 
indeed,  as  well  built  as  the  pure  Arabians,  but  are, 
nevertheless,  fleet,  and  exceedingly  hardy.  The  na- 
tives, more  especially  the  Bakkari,  pride  themselves 
on  their  steeds,  and  give  them  milk  to  drink  as  long- 
as  they  live,  which  they  say  renders  them  very  strong, 
and  capable  of  enduring  the  greatest  fatigue.  The 
other  inhabitants  of  Kordofan  also  offer  their  horses 
milk  until  they  are  four  years  old,  and  not  until  they 
have  attained  that  age  do  they  feed  them  on  grass. 
The  dockn  forms  their  substitute  for  oats.  The 
sheikhs  of  the  Bakkara,  seem  nearly  grown  to  their 
horses,  and  are  scarcely  ever  seen  without  them. 
They  are  of  the  utmost  service  to  them,  in  their  wars 


PRODUCTS.  233 

themselves,  and  against  their  neighbours ;  but 
more  especially  in  capturing  slaves.  Their  remark- 
able fleetness  renders  them  very  useful  in  catching 
gi  raffes,  and  ostriches  even ;  but  on  the  whole  there 
are  not  so  many  horses  to  be  met  with  in  this 
country  as  in  the  other  provinces  under  the  sway  of 
the  Viceroy. 

The  most  valuable  gift  nature  has  bestowed  on 
the  hot  climates  of  Africa,  is  undoubtedly  the  camel. 
The  value  of  these  animals  to  the  country  is  beyond 
calculation,  independently  of  their  utility  in  car- 
rying loads,  which  no  other  beast,  except  the  ele- 
phant, could  bear,  or  would  even  be  capable  of 
drawing.  The  food  of  the  camel  causes  the  dri- 
vers but  little  care,  for  contented  with  the  worst 
produce  of  the  desert  plains,  namely,  with  thistles 
or  a  few  leaves,  this  animal  will  hold  out  for  four  days 
without  feeding,  and  even  eight  days  without  drink- 
ing, and  yet  it  suffers  no  appreciable  loss  of  strength. 
Its  paces  are  very  sure,  and  it  scarcely  ever  falls, 
hence  all  goods,  be  they  ever  so  fragile,  may  be 
more  safely  transported  by  camels  than  they  could 
possibly  be  by  any  other  animal,  or  by  waggon. 
For  loading  or  unloading,  the  camel  bends  down,  as 
it  does  also  for  the  convenience  of  the  rider,  when 
about  to  mount.  If  the  load  be  too  heavy,  it  in- 
stantlv  gives  notice  of  the  circumstance  to  its  driver 
l»v  itN  -roans.  It  requires  no  whip,  and  keeps  up 
it»  N|.»W  but  progress e  march  without  ever  break- 
ing from  the  same  pare.  A  laden  camel  will  per- 


234  PRODUCTS. 

form  eight  miles  in  two  hours.  In  the  cool  of  the 
morning  or  evening,  and  when  cheered  up  by  the 
songs  of  the  drivers,  these  animals  become  more 
lively,  and  increase  their  paces  to  one  third  of  their 
speed.  Their  organs  of  sight  and  smell  are  very 
acute,  for  they  scent  the  vicinity  of  water  at  a 
distance  of  half  a  day's  journey  or  further,  and  make 
it  known  by  snuffing  with  the  upper  lip,  in  sign  of 
pleasure.  By  night  they  perform  the  office  of  a 
watchful  dog ;  for  if  a  man,  or  an  animal  approach 
the  caravan,  or  a  wild  beast  give  tongue  even  at  a 
great  distance,  the  camels  instantly  perceive  it,  prick 
their  ears,  and  stretch  their  long  necks  towards  the 
suspected  quarter,  to  draw  the  attention  of  their 
keepers  to  the  interruption.  Of  no  less  utility  is 
the  dromedary,  a  camel  of  more  slender  build,  and 
broken  in  for  riding.  It  was  formerly  an  erroneous 
hypothesis  that  the  dromedary  was  a  different  ani- 
mal from  the  camel,  and  the  former  was  generally 
depicted  with  two  humps ;  but  this  is  a  fallacy,  for 
the  dromedary  is  nothing  but  a  camel,  and  the  vari- 
ation in  the  name  is  merely  made  use  of  by  the  in- 
habitants of  the  East  to  indicate  that  it  is  broken-in 
for  riding,  and  not  for  carrying  loads.  They  select 
from  among  the  young  camels  such  as  are  most 
slightly  built,  and  most  light  of  foot,  never  lay  any 
load  upon  their  backs  except  the  saddle,  and  thus 
gradually  break  them  in  for  this  important  service. 
No  horse  can  keep  up  with  the  dromedary,  whrn 
proceeding  at  full  trot.  When  this  animal  is  at  the 
top  of  its  speed,  the  rider  is  obliged  to  bind  a  hand- 


PRODUCTS.  235 

kerchief  before  his  face,  to  avoid  the  effects  of  the 
pressure  of  air,  which  would  otherwise  be  painful  to 
him.  If  a  dark  speck,  which  quickly  increases,  be  ob- 
served on  the  horizon,  at  the  greatest  distance  in  the 
desert,  a  dromedary  rider  is  sure  to  be  met  in  a  few 
minutes,  and  the  natives,  in  endeavouring  to  impart  a 
correct  idea  of  the  fleetness  of  these  animals  to  the 
traveller,  have  a  saying  :  "  If  you  meet  a  good  dro- 
medary, and  the  rider  salute  you  with  '  JEs-s elam' 
aley'koom!*  both  man  and  beast  are  out  of  sight 
before  you  can  answer  '  aleykoom  es-selam"  It 
requires,  indeed,  some  practice  to  be  able  to  bear 
the  exertion  of  riding  these  animals.  Letters  from 
the  southern  provinces,  are  usually  forwarded  to 
Cairo  by  couriers  mounted  on  dromedaries,  who 
generally  require  twenty-eight  days  to  perform  a  dis- 
tance of  about  seventeen  degrees  of  latitude.  For  the 
accomplishment  of  this  task,  a  relay  of  three  or  four 
couriers  is  necessary.  On  important  missions,  how- 
ever, one  and  the  same  courier  frequently  performs  the 
whole  distance,  merely  changing  his  dromedaries  at 
the  various  stations.  The  rider  is  always  very  lightly 
accoutred,  and  carries,  besides  his  arms,  consisting 
of  u  sabre,  a  pair  of  pistols,  and  frequently  also  of  a 
long  gun,  two  bags  of  moderate  size  for  his  pro- 
vender, and  a  small  water-bag  attached  to  his 
siddle-bow.  and  thus  lie  sets  out  upon  his  journev. 
which  would  prove  a  most  arduous  undertaking  to 

*  "  IVacv  be  on  you,"  the  greeting  of  peace,  to  which  the  re- 
-  is,  "  On  you  be  peace."     This  is  the  salutation  of  Mooslims 

ii  other  only.  -  /'/•/.-.  LuHi-'.f  Mn-/rrtt  A//v/'/'r///s,  y.  L'?J. — Til. 


236  PRODUCTS. 

any  other  person,  with  the  least  possible  incum- 
brance,  and  with  no  uneasiness. 

The  flesh  of  the  young  camels,  of  the  two  or  four 
years  old,  is  highly  prized  by  the  natives,  more 
especially  by  the  Nomadic  tribes,  and  forms  their 
chief  article  of  food.  Many  of  them  are  slaughtered 
at  Lobeid,  and  the  meat  is  sold  at  the  same  price  as 
beef,  which  some  of  the  residents  prefer.  The  milk 
is  also  a  chief  article  of  consumption  with  many  of 
the  natives. 

The  asses,  native  to  the  country,  are  of  a  very 
inferior  breed ;  good  donkeys  are,  therefore,  still  im- 
ported from  Egypt  by  the  Djelabi.  Horned  cat- 
tle is  more  especially  met  with  in  vast  num- 
bers. There  are  few  villages  in  the  neighbourhood, 
in  which  large  herds  may  not  be  seen  at  pasture  ; 
and  amongst  the  Bakkara,  the  droves  consist  even 
of  thousands  of  heads.  They  feed  throughout  the 
year  in  the  open  air,  but  suffer  much  from  hunger 
in  the  dry  season,  when  everything  is  burnt  to  a 
cinder,  and  are,  therefore,  not  so  fat  at  this  period 
as  during  the  rainy  season,  when  they  are,  literally 
speaking,  up  to  their  horns  in  grass.  Thus  thou- 
sands of  heads  of  cattle  may  be  feeding  in  a 
meadow,  and  yet  not  one  single  beast  will  be  seen ; 
their  presence  is  merely  denoted  by  the  motion  of 
the  grass.  The  kine,  however,  are  not  of  very  ex- 
cellent breed,  they  yield  but  little  milk,  of  inferior 
quality,  and  much  worse  beef.  The  Turks  resident 
in  Kordofan  never  eat  this  meat.  Amongst  the  Bak- 
kara, a  particular  breed  of  short -horned  oxen  is  to 


PRODUCTS.  237 

be  met  with,  furnished  with  a  high  hump,  or  depo- 
sition of  fat  above  the  fore-quarters,  and  a  depen- 
dent flap  of  skin  below  the  neck  and  chest,  reaching 
downwards  to  the  knee.*  The  oxen  are  chiefly 
used  for  riding,  and  carrying  weights:  a  cord  pa^<-<| 
tli rough  the  nose  of  the  animal  forms  a  species  of 
bridle.  They  are  instructed  for  these  purposes 
nt  a  very  early  age,  and,  indeed,  by  children.  The 
instruction,  however,  requires  immense  patience, 
for  many  months  frequently  transpire  before  a 
young  calf  will  allow  a  lad  to  sit  quietly  on  its 
back,  and  the  boys  meet  with  innumerable  falls, 
before  they  succeed  in  thoroughly  breaking-in  one 
of  these  animals.  In  many  parts  of  Africa,  where 
the  camel  will  not  live  on  account  of  the  fly  (yo- 
hara),  oxen  are  only  employed  for  riding,  and  trans- 
porting loads.  There  are  many  sheep,  and  among 
them  one  species  of  very  large  breed  ;  they  bear  no 
wool,  but  short  hair;  the  mutton  is  of  good  flavour, 
and  is  preferred  to  beef,  or  to  the  flesh  of  goats. 

The  goat  is  very  common  in  the  country,  and 
may  be  reckoned  among  the  chief  domestic  animals. 
There  are  several  varieties,  or  rather  cross  breeds, 
and  some  of  exceedingly  elegant  form  ;  but  they  are 
mostly  very  small.  Nothing  can  induce  the  Turks 
to  partake  of  goafs-milk  during  the  rainy  season; 
for  they  firmly  believe  that  it  produces  fever,  if  the 
animal  .should  happen  to  have  browsed  the  leases  of 
a  tree  called,  in  A rabic,  escher  (asclepias procera),  and 
known  as  a  poisonous  plant.  It  is,  in  fact,  the  tree 
*  Buffaloes.— TK. 


238  PRODUCTS. 

whence  the  well-known  poison  is  expressed,  with 
which  an  obnoxious  person  was  quietly  put  out  of 
the  way  with  a  fingan  of  coffee  in  former  times  in 
Egypt,  and  is  sometimes  employed  for  the  same 
purpose  at  the  present  day.  This  plant  may  be  met 
with  occasionally  as  a  shrub  in  Upper  Egypt ;  but  in 
Kordofan  it  attains  the  height  of  a  tree.  Many  of 
the  natives  pay  great  attention  to  its  cultivation, 
and  lay  the  leaves  into  the  sieve,  through  which 
they  filter  their  merissa.  These  leaves  contain  a 
white  milky  juice,  which  is  imparted  to  the  beer 
and  said  to  render  it  very  narcotic.  I  have  often 
warned  these  good  people  against  its  use;  but  they 
excuse  themselves,  by  saying  that  their  fathers  and 
mothers  made  use  of  it  before  them.  The  camel, 
not  very  particular  in  the  selection  of  its  food  in 
general,  never  touches  the  escher.*  As  regards  the 
superstition  prevalent  among  the  Turks,  that  the 
milk  of  the  goats  generates  fever,  in  consequence  of 
their  having  fed  off  the  foliage  of  this  poisonous 
plant,  it  is  perfectly  absurd  ;  for  it  is  a  well-known 
fact,  that  any  kind  of  milk  taken  during  the  rainy 
season  will  produce  fever. 

Dogs,  of  which  there  are  a  great  number,  run 
about,  as  in  all  other  mahommedan  countries,  with- 
out any  real  owners,  and  are  yet  looked  upon  as 
domestic  animals.  They  are  mostly  of  a  yellow 
colour,  but  rather  better  shaped  than  the  Egyptian 
dogs;  like  them  they  feed  off  the  garbage  and 
fallen  cattle,  and  are  not  otherwise  of  the  slightest 
*  The  oschour  of  Burckhardt  and  Browne. — TK. 


PRODUCTS.  239 

utility.  F  found,  however,  that  they  might  be  in- 
structed for  sporting,  with  very  little  trouble. 
There  are  very  few  cats  in  the  country,  hence  the 
rats  and  the  mice  are  so  tame  that  they  will  run 
across  the  feet  of  a  person  by  day-time.  If  anv- 
thing  be  thrown  to  them  for  food,  they  immediately 
pick  it  up,  devour  it  quickly,  and  return  fearlessly 
to  fetch  more.  The  natives  of  Kordofan  take  little 
pains  to  destroy  this  vermin,  and  merely  set  snares 
in  the  fields  and  gardens  for  the  field  rat,  which 
is  eaten  by  many  negroes,  and  even  by  some  few 
of  the  Dongolavi.  I  myself  saw  the  Nuba  negroes 
eating  rats ;  they  roast  them  in  their  skins,  and 
flay  them  after  they  are  cooked.  There  is  one 
species  of  rat,  however,  which  does  not  create  the 
slightest  disgust.  It  is  of  a  cream-colour,  with  a 
snow  white  belly  and  feet  tipped  with  white,  and  its 
coat  is  as  sleek  as  silk.  They  may  be  classed 
amongst  the  most  elegant  animals. 

The  fowls  of  this  province  are  far  larger  than 
those  of  Egypt — the  cock  birds  more  especially — and 
are  decorated  with  a  very  beautiful  plumage,  similar 
to  those  observed  in  Nubia.  The  tame  pigeons  are 
likewise  larger  than  those  met  with  in  Kgypt,  and 
1  counted  nine  dittereiit  varieties  of  wood-pigeons 
the  smallest  of  the  size  of  a  blackbird,  but  with 
a  tail  as  long  as  the  bird  itself. 

The  giralle,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  animals 
of  Africa,  is  frequently  seen  in  Kordofan,  and  nearly 
all  the  specimens  of  this  animal  sent  by  way  of 
K.nypt  to  Kurope  and  America,  have  been  caught 


240  PRODUCTS. 

in  the  plains  of  Kordofan.  During  the  rainy  season 
they  are  not  to  be  met  with,  for  they  are  supposed  to 
travel  into  countries  situate  at  a  great  distance  from 
this  province.  The  natives  believe  them  to  betake 
themselves  to  parts  where  very  little  rain  falls,  as 
of  all  the  wild  beasts  of  the  torrid  zone,  none  is 
so  sensitive  to  climate  as  the  giraffe.  In  captivity 
they  require  the  greatest  care  and  attention  to  keep 
them  alive  ;  in  Egypt  even  they  must  be  guarded 
during  the  winter  months  against  cold,  and  their 
diet,  moreover,  demands  the  strictest  attention,  for 
instances  are  known  of  giraffes  dying  very  soon,  in 
consequence  of  a  trifling  neglect  on  the  part  of  their, 
keepers.  As  soon  as  the  dry  season  commences,  the 
giraffes  return  to  the  neighbourhood  of  Kordofan ; 
they  are  not  gregarious  in  their  habits  like  the  ante- 
lopes, and  are  only  to  be  seen  separately,  or  at  the 
most  in  pairs.  These  beautiful  creatures  are  caught 
by  men  on  horseback,  but  merely  the  young  animals 
are  taken  alive,  as  it  would  almost  amount  to  an 
impossibility  to  catch  an  old  beast,  who  would  over- 
throw both  horse  and  rider,  and  use  them  very 
roughly.  The  latter  are,  therefore,  slain  with  the 
sword,  merely  for  the  sake  of  their  skins,  which 
form  an  article  of  trade.  The  flesh  is  eaten,  and 
has  not  exactly  a  disagreeable  flavour.  In  order  to 
be  allowed  to  hunt  giraffes  for  a  menagerie,  it  is  ne- 
cessary first  to  obtain  a  firman  from  the  minister  of 
the  interior,  and  it  is  indeed  the  best  plan  to  apply 
at  once  to  the  Sheikh  Abdel  Had  at  Haraza ;  he 


PRODUCTS.  241 

will  immediately  give  an  order  to  his  people  who 
occupy  themselves  with  this  sport,  for  it  requires 
not  only  a  very  expert  horseman,  but  a  very  per- 
fect horse,  and  more  especially  experience  in  this 
species  of  hunting.  Generally  speaking,  two  horse- 
men provided  with  one  or  two  camels  laden  with  a 
supply  of  provender  and  water  sufficient  for  a  few 
days,  proceed  into  the  desert  frequented  by  the 
giraffes.  The  camels  are  left  at  an  appropriate 
place,  whilst  the  riders  reconnoitre  the  country  until 
they  come  upon  the  track  of  an  animal.  Great  ex- 
perience is  now  requisite  to  distinguish  whether  the 
trace  be  of  to-day  or  yesterday,  or  of  a  yet  older 
date.  If  it  be  recent,  and  that  of  a  young  animal, 
it  is  immediately  followed  up,  and  the  huntsmen 
may  make  sure  of  gaining  a  sight  of  their  prey  in 
a  few  hours.  As  soon  as  the  giraffe  is  in  view, 
the  run  instantly  takes  place,  for  the  animal,  very 
timid  by  nature,  seeks  refuge  in  flight,  and  indeed 
with  extraordinary  fleetness.  Everything  now  de- 
pends on  the  dexterity  of  the  rider,  and  activity  of 
his  horse.  They  must  do  all  in  their  power  to  gain 
upon  the  game  they  have  started,  an  endeavour  which 
is  the  more  readily  to  be  effected,  as  the  giraffe 
never  takes  a  straight  course,  but  by  nature  timid, 
doubles,  in  the  fear  of  its  life,  sometimes  to  the  right, 
sometimes  to  the  left,  and  is  thus  quickly  over- 
taken by  the  horsemen.  Having  come  up  with  the 
young  animal  pursued,  the  rider  casts  a  la— o  over 
its  head;  his  throw  but  seldom  tails,  and  in  the 

R 


242  PRODUCTS. 

worst  case  must  be  repeated.  He  then  attaches  the 
end  of  the  rope  to  his  saddle,  drags  the  animal  as 
closely  as  he  can  to  his  horse,  and  thus  the  capture  is 
effected.  But  now  a  steady  and  patient  horse,  well 
broken  to  its  work,  is  again  necessary  for  the  further 
transport;  for  the  horse  must  resist  the  animal's 
efforts,  or  give  way  to  them  (for  it  pulls  and 
jumps  in  all  directions),  in  conveying  it  to  the 
nearest  village,  which  the  huntsmen  endeavour  to 
reach  as  quickly  as  they  possibly  can.  A  she-camel 
should  stand  in  readiness  there  to  give  the  young 
giraffe  milk,  with  which  it  is  fed  before  being  wean- 
ed to  grass  or  hay.  This  treatment  must  be  sub- 
sequently followed,  and  even  full  grown  giraffes 
should  receive  milk  daily  as  drink,  if  it  be  in  any 
way  possible. 

When  the  young  animal  has  rested  for  some  time, 
it  is  furthered,  without  delay,  to  Dongola,  but  on 
this  occasion  great  attention  is  again  required.  A 
kind  of  head-stall  is  put  on  the  animal's  head, 
to  which  four  stout  cords  are  fastened.  Two  men, 
each  holding  the  end  of  one  of  the  ropes  in  his 
hand,  walk  in  front,  and  two  follow,  to  keep  its 
gait  steady,  a  task  requiring  during  the  first  few 
days  extraordinary  exertion.  A  she-camel  must  ac- 
company the  young  giraffe  to  give  it  the  neces- 
sary nourishment  on  the  road.  Arrived  at  Don- 
gola, a  certain  time  is  again  devoted  to  rest,  and 
the  animal  is  here  accustomed  to  the  milk  of  the 
cow  and  to  grass.  It  is  incredible  what  difficulties 


PRODUCTS.  243 

the  Arabs  have  to  contend  with  in  preserving  a 
giraffe  alive,  and  it  is,  consequently,  not  to  be 
wondered  at  that  their  price  is  so  enormous.  In 
Egypt,  for  example,  at  Cairo  or  Alexandria,  a  living 
specimen  always  costs  from  five  to  six  hundred 
dollars. 

There  are  not  many  leopards  in  this  province ; 
the  stragglers  merely  from  the  interior  of  Africa 
si  low  themselves  occasionally  in  Kordofan.  They 
will  sometimes  approach  the  villages,  but  instances 
of  their  having  done  an  injury  to  man  are  very 
rare.  They  mostly  steal  their  prey  from  one 
of  the  herds,  but  immediately  withdraw  with  it 
to  their  covert,  but  are  by  no  means  as  bold  as 
they  may  be  in  the  more  internal  tracts  of  this 
and  another  quarter  of  the  globe.  They  are  not 
hunted,  partly  from  want  of  fire-arms,  partly  be- 
cause the  skin,  the  only  portion  of  value  about 
them,  is  not  much  in  request,  and  a  leopard  is  very 
rarely,  indeed,  known  to  have  been  killed  in  any 
district.  Hyaenas,  of  which  there  are  said  to  l>e 
three  varieties,  are  far  more  numerous.  The  striped 
<l»ecies  is  the  most  common  in  Egypt  and  Syria; 
but  the  tiger-skinned  hyivna  is  far  larger,  and  if 
the  third  variety  exist  it  has  never  come  under  my 
own  observation.  They  form  herds  of  ten  or 
t wrnty  animals,  secrete  themselves  during  the  day 
in  the  cave*  and  ravines  of  the  neighbouring  moun- 
tain*, which  they  merely  quit  at  night,  when  they 
go  in  quest  of  |»re\.  and  on  these  occasion*  they 

B    2 


244  PRODUCTS. 

gradually  separate.  Dead  bodies,  which  they  dig 
out  of  the  graves,  are  their  favourite  food,  and 
they  immediately  scent  out  where  a  corpse  has 
been  interred,  whether  in  the  desert  or  in  the 
burial-ground.  They  are  also  fond  of  picking  out 
the  young  sheep  from  a  flock,  although  these  are 
enclosed  during  the  night  within  a  dense  fence  of 
thorn-hedging.  The  hyaena,  however,  understands 
mining,  digs  beneath  the  fence,  and  frequently 
breaks  in  upon  a  flock.  They  never  do  any  harm  to 
man,  and  there  is  scarcely  a  single  instance  on 
record  of  a  hysena  having  seized  upon  a  man,  and 
those,  indeed,  known,  were  only  occasions  where 
they  had  been  greatly  irritated  or  wounded.  In 
Europe,  this  animal  is  very  much  calumniated  as 
being  the  most  ferocious  and  most  cruel  of  all 
wild  beasts,  thus,  at  least,  it  is  described  in  nearly 
all  the  books  on  natural  history  ;  one  author,  in 
fact,  copies  the  error  from  the  other,  without  investi- 
gating his  subject  more  closely ;  hence  the  opinion 
first  gained  ground  and  subsequently  became  pre- 
valent in  the  whole  of  Europe,  that  the  hysena  is 
the  most  formidable  of  all  quadrupeds.  I  and 
several  other  Europeans  have  convinced  ourselves, 
that  it  is  not  only  not  feared,  but  totally  disregard- 
ed by  the  natives.  It  is  timid,  may  be  cowed  by 
blows,  and  rather  endeavours  to  secrete  itself  than 
to  attack.  The  circumstance  of  its  disinterring 
dead  bodies  and  devouring  them  is  no  proof  of 
its  being  the  most  formidable  or  ferocious  animal ; 


PRODUCTS.  245 

for  if  it  can  surprise  sheep  or  gazelles,  it  prefers 
them,  but  hunger  oftentimes  forces  it  to  dig  up 
a  corpse,  and  feed  off  it.  Its  forepaws  are  cer- 
tainly adapted  by  nature  for  digging  in  the  earth, 
but  there  are  sufficient  instances  of  dogs  having 
scratched  out  the  bodies  of  the  dead  and  eaten 
them.  In  Hungary,  Poland,  and  Russia,  examples 
of  wolves  attacking  men  are  very  numerous ;  in 
Africa,  the  instances  of  the  hyaena  having  done  the 
same  are  very  scarce.  Ten  hyaenas  may,  in  fact,  be. 
sooner  tamed  than  one  jackal.  Thus,  in  the  court 
of  a  house  at  Lobeid,  I  saw  a  hyaena  running  about 
quite  domesticated  :  the  children  of  the  proprietor 
teased  it,  took  the  meat  thrown  to  it  for  food  out 
of  its  jaws,  and  put  their  hands  even  into  its  throat, 
without  receiving  the  least  injury.  When  we  took 
our  meals  in  the  open  air,  to  enjoy  the  breeze,  as 
was  our  general  custom  during  the  hot  season,  this 
animal  approached  the  table  without  fear,  snapped 
up  the  pieces  that  were  thrown  to  it  like  a  dog.  and 
did  not  evince  the  slightest  symptom  of  timidity. 
A  full  grown  hyaena,  and  her  two  cubs,  were,  on  an- 
other occasion,  brought  to  me  for  sale  :  the  latter 
were  carried  in  arms,  as  you  might  carry  a  lamb,  and 
were  not  even  muzzled.  The  old  one,  it  is  true,  had 
a  rope  round  its  snout,  but  it  ha<l  been  KM!  a  distance 
bf  twelve  miles  by  one  single  man,  without  having 
oilered  the  slightest  resistance.  The  Africans  do  not 
e\en  reckon  the  livaMia  among  the  wild  beast-  of  their 
country,  for  they  arc'  not  afraid  of  it.  The  rhiimce- 


246  PRODUCTS. 

ros  passes  among  them  as  the  most  vicious  of  all 
quadrupeds.  They  say  the  lion,  and  other  beasts  of 
prey,  merely  attack  man  when  they  are  wounded  or 
irritated,  or  when  goaded  on  by  hunger;  and  as 
there  are  sheep  and  goats  everywhere,  and  numbers 
of  antelopes  and  other  animals,  in  the  desert,  and 
they  suffer  no  want  of  food,  man  need  not  fear 
them.  Widely  different  is  the  case  with  the  rhino- 
ceros, for  although  it  is  a  graminivorous  animal, 
neither  man  nor  beast  are  safe  from  its  wanton 
cruelty.  Without  having  been  disturbed  or  irri- 
tated in  the  least,  it  will  immediately  attack  a  man 
or  animal,  be  it  ever  so  large — even  the  elephant  or 
lion.  It  endeavours  in  the  first  charge  to  pierce  its 
adversary  with  its  powerful  horn,  which  is  situated, 
as  is  well  known,  superiorly  on  the  nasal  bone,  taking 
a  curved  direction  upwards.  If  the  first  blow 
take  effect,  the  animal  attacked,  even  if  it  be  the 
elephant,  is  lost;  should  he,  or  the  lion,  however,  avoid 
the  blow,  the  rhinoceros  generally  succumbs,  and 
notwithstanding  this  risk  it  is  always  the  aggressor. 
Fortunately  there  are  said  to  be  but  very  few  rhino- 
ceroses ;  and  it  is  indeed  a  great  rarity  if  one  of  them 
happen  to  stray  into  Kordofan.  The  haunts  of  these 
animals  are  in  the  vicinity  of  rivers  and  lakes,  their 
horns  may  be  met  with  in  commerce,  and  are  em- 
ployed in  the  manufacture  of  the  handles  of  the 
Turkish  swords.  The  lighter  the  colour  of  the  horn 
the  greater  is  its  value  ;  but  the  black  variety  is  not 
in  request,  and  is  regarded  as  useless  for  sabre  hilts. 


PRODUCTS.  247 

'he  quality  of  the  horns  cannot  be  judged  of  by 
their  outward  appearance,  for  externally  they  are  all 
black.  Those  which  are  met  with  in  commerce  in 
Kordofan  are  imported  from  the  countries  tributary 
to  Darfour,  situated  on  a  river, — probably  the  White 
Nile, — of  which  I  shall  speak  more  fully  in  a  subse- 
quent chapter. 

The  number  of  lions  in  this  province  is  not  very 
considerable,  but  they  frequently  enter  villages  for 
prey,  and  carry  away  a  head  of  cattle  before  their 
visit  is  even  suspected.  In  the  day  time  they  are 
neither  heard  nor  seen,  for  they  generally  lie 
crouching  in  a  dense  covert,  or  sleeping  beneath 
a  shady  tree.  But  early  in  the  morning,  as  soon 
as  the  sun  begins  to  cast  its  rays  on  the  sandy ^ 
billows  of  the  desert,  the  royal  animal  rises 
from  his  lair  to  sally  forth  in  quest  of  prey. 
His  voice  may  then  be  heard  in  the  distance;  it 
commences  with  a  low  murmuring,  which  gradually 
increases,  until  it  at  last  becomes  a  fearful  and  ter- 
rific roar,  like  the  rolling  of  thunder,  and  is  audible 
at  a  distance  of  two  miles.  The  whole  animal 
kingdom  trembles,  and  evinces  the  greatest  fear 
when  the  king  of  the  beasts  is  heard;  the  sheep 
tremble  as  if  attacked  with  ague,  place  their  heads 
together,  and  endeavour  to  hide  themselves;  the 
horses  break  out  into  a  sweat  with  fear;  and  the 
dogs  hurry  away  as  fast  as  they  can  to  find  a  place 
of  refuge.  In  fine,  all  the  beasts  are  seized  with 
the  most  unequivocal  terror  when  the  lion  mak<  - 


248  PRODUCTS. 

his  approach  known.  Should  a  caravan  happen  to 
be  near  the  spot,  it  is  impossible  to  keep  the  camels 
together,  they  leap  about  in  all  directions,  and  are 
scattered  abroad  under  the  influence  of  fear.  I 
myself  once  had  the  opportunity  of  witnessing  a 
scene  of  this  kind.  On  arriving  in  my  travels  at 
the  wells  of  Semmeria,  we  suddenly  heard  a 
murmuring  noise  afar,  resembling  the  rolling  of 
balls  in  an  empty  barrel;  but  we  were  soon  ac- 
quainted with  its  true  cause  when  it  gradually 
increased  to  that  terrible  thunder-like  roar.  With 
the  first  perception  of  this  noise,  the  camels  be- 
longing to  our  caravan  suddenly  took  fright,  and  in- 
stantly separated  in  all  directions.  The  men  and  the 
cases  were  thrown  off,  and  if  one  of  the  riders  hap- 
pened to  keep  his  seat  at  the  first  alarm,  he  was  sub- 
sequently necessitated  to  leap  down,  to  avoid  being 
felled  by  the  branches  of  the  trees ;  for  we  were  un- 
fortunately near  a  forest  of  mimosas,  and  every  one 
was  in  danger  of  being  torn  by  their  large  spines. 
This  confusion,  however,  did  not  last  long,  for  the 
lion  took  quite  an  opposite  direction  to  the  route  of 
our  caravan ;  but  a  whole  day  was  lost  in  collecting 
the  goods  that  had  been  thrown  off,  or  torn  down  by 
the  trees,  and  one  of  the  camels  strayed  to  a  great 
distance.  Lions  are  seldom  hunted  in  this  country ; 
for  there  are  very  few  of  them,  as  I  have  before- 
mentioned,  and  they  do  so  little  damage  that  it 
would  not  be  worth  while  to  incur  the  danger 
attending  the  sport.  The  flesh  of  the  lord  of  the 


PRODUCTS.  249 

forest  is  very  tough  and  tendinous,  and  is  not 
readily  devoured  by  any  other  animal.  A  dog  will 
sneak  away  as  soon  as  he  smells  it. 

A  few  panthers  may  be  met  with  in  the  country, 
but  they  are  not  as  large  as  those  of  Asia.  I  have 
been  assured  that  there  are  no  tigers  in  Kordofan. 
Antelopes  may  be  seen  browsing  in  large  numbers, 
and,  indeed,  in  great  variety ;  like  the  camels,  they 
are  able  to  bear  thirst  for  eight  days.  I  have 
myself  observed  them  in  places  situated  at  a  dis- 
tance of  twenty-six  miles  from  any  water,  so  that  it 
would  have  been  impossible  for  them  to  perform 
this  journey  daily,  or  even  on  every  other  day. 

Besides  the  animals  mentioned,  there  are  a  num- 
ber of  quadrupeds,  the  names  of  which  are  not  even 
known  in  Europe ;  for  Kordofan  has  only  been 
visited,  up  to  the  present  day,  by  two  naturalists, 
viz.,  by  Dr.  Rueppell  and  Dr.  Kotschy,  who  remained 
too  short  a  time  in  the  country  to  have  been  able 
to  traverse  it,  and  explore  it  in  all  directions.  A 
residence  of  a  few  years  would  at  least  be  required 
to  investigate  everything  thoroughly;  and  all  those 
who  have  resided  in  the  country  hitherto  have  suffer- 
ed so  much  by  the  unhealthy  climate,  that  they  have 
been  obliged  to  leave  it  as  quickly  as  possible,  to  avoid 
the  danger  threatening  the  life  of  every  European. 

The  various  species  of  birds  arriving  in  this  coun- 
try at  the  different  seasons  of  the  year,  and  leaving  it 
again  at  others,  arc'  very  numerous,  and  vary  from  the' 
little  colibri  to  the  gigantic  ostrich.  As  they  are 


250  PRODUCTS. 

not  often  frightened  by  the  noise  of  fire-arms  they 
are  not  timid  and  may  be  easily  shot;  but  if  the 
traveller  sojourn  for  some  days  in  one  spot  and 
pursue  them  with  his  gun,  they  then  of  course 
soon  become  as  shy  here  as  in  other  places.  Seve- 
ral of  the  birds,  and  this  applies  more  especially  to 
the  varieties  of  pigeons,  are  so  little  accustomed  to 
fire-arms  that,  although  many  will  fall  at  one  shot, 
those  which  are  not  hit  will  remain  quietly  perched 
on  the  tree.  I  must  also  draw  the  attention  of  all 
travellers  who  may  be  sportsmen  to  the  fact  that 
the  birds  become  very  shy  if  they  observe  a  Turkish 
attire  and  a  red  cap  or  turboosh,  whereas  if  the 
sportsman  wear  a  blue  shirt  and  brown  cap,  after  the 
fashion  of  Upper-Egypt,  he  may  be  sure  of  killing 
double  the  number  he  would  in  the  dress  above- 
mentioned.  The  black  storks  occupy  nearly  every 
house  in  the  villages ;  each  hut  is  furnished  with  a 
basket,  which  forms  the  apex  of  its  roof,  and  serves 
these  birds  as  a  nest,  thus  saving  them  the  trouble 
of  building  for  themselves.  He  who  might  venture 
to  do  an  injury  to  a  stork  would  expose  himself  to 
the  greatest  abuse  from  the  natives ;  and  were  the 
dread  of  the  white  men  not  overawing,  he  might 
even  subject  himself  to  sensible  proofs  of  their  dis- 
pleasure; for,  as  regards  these  birds,  they  &re  as 
superstitious  as  the  people  in  some  parts  of  Europe 
about  the  white  stork.  They  are  in  consequence 
so  tame  that  they  run  about  the  villages  like 
geese,  and  I  frequently  had  to  throw  my  stick  at 


PRODUCTS.  251 

them  when  collecting  insects  in  their  company  in 
a  meadow,  for  they  were  far  quicker  in  picking 
them  up  than  I  wras,  and  would  frequently  snatch 
a  beetle  away  from  me  when  I  had  my  hand  upon 
it.  The  sacred  ibis,  of  the  ancient  Egyptians,  appears 
to  l)e  a  native  of  Kordofan  :  it  builds  its  nest  on  trees 
in  the  villages,  and  I  have  often  counted  from  twenty 
to  fifty  of  them  on  one  tree.  I  have  altogether 
seldom  seen  animals  living  as  peacably  among  them- 
selves as  these  birds.  They  hatch  their  young,  two 
in  number, — rarely  three, — during  the  rainy  season; 
they  enjoy  the  same  good  opinion  of  men  as  the 
storks,  but  even  to  a  greater  degree;  for  when  I 
was  about  to  kill  a  few,  near  the  house  of  Sultan 
Teme,  at  Lobeid,  he  said  very  solemnly  :  "  Rather 
shoot  all  the  fowls  in  my  court,  than  one  of  these 
ibises,  which  have  come  to  my  trees  to  build  their 
nests,  and  sought  my  protection."  When  the  young 
birds  are  full  grown,  the  old  ones  migrate,  and  re- 
turn with  the  first  fall  of  rain.  I  could  not  find  out 
where  they  resort  to  during  the  dry  season ;  in  the 
time  of  the  ancient  Egyptians,  they  evidently  went 
to  Kgypt,  as  the  many  thousands  of  ibis-vases  met 
with  at  Sakara  and  in  other  situations  would  prove; 
but  at  present  they  are  never  to  be  seen  in  that  coun- 
try.  T  have,  indeed,  occasionally  observed  a  single 
bird  of  this  species  on  the  White  River,  as  late  as 
the  month  of  April;  but  I  suppose  these  to  have 
been  invalids  incapable  of  following  the  flight. 
The  ostrich  may  be  reckoned  among  the  most 


252  PRODUCTS. 

useful  birds ;  for  its  flesh  is  eaten,  and  that  of  the 
young  birds  is  of  very  pleasant  flavour.  The  price 
of  a  young  ostrich  is  five  piasters  (Is.  5^c?.  sterling). 
The  eggs  are  also  eaten,  one  of  them  is  sufficient  to 
satisfy  four  persons.  The  egg-shells  are  exported  as 
an  article  of  commerce,  but  the  feathers  return  the 
largest  profits.  A  full-grown  ostrich  will  always 
yield  three  rottoli  of  black  feathers,  and  half  a  rot- 
tolo  of  white  plumes.  The  greater  number  of 
these  birds  are  caught  in  Caccie  in  snares,  placed 
on  a  plate,  matted  from  the  wood  of  a  species  of 
willow,  perforated  with  holes,  and  buried  in  the 
sand.  The  gin  itself,  which  is  laid  upon  this  plate, 
is  bound  to  the  nearest  tree,  or  to  a  piece  of  wood. 
As  many  as  fifty  of  these  are  laid  in  a  certain 
spot.  If  an  ostrich,  or  a  gazelle,  happen  to  stray 
into  these  parts,  and  set  its  foot  on  one  of  the 
plates,  the  snare  opens ;  and  as  soon  as  the  leg  is 
withdrawn,  it  closes  again,  and  the  animal  is  caught. 
It  would,  indeed,  be  almost  impossible  to  capture 
one  of  these  birds  in  any  other  way,  for  they  are 
exceedingly  cautious,  and  very  quick  of  sight; 
as  soon,  therefore,  as  they  descry  a  man  approaching 
them,  they  immediately  take  to  flight.  To  overtake 
the  bird,  even  with  the  fleetest  steed,  would  be  a 
matter  of  great  difficulty,  for,  scarcely  touching  the 
ground  with  its  feet,  it  runs  so  fast,  that  it  appears 
almost  to  fly ;  and  the  illusion  is  still  greater  when 
the  motion  of  its  short  wings  is  observed,  which  it 
uses  as  propellers. 


PRODUCTS.  253 

The  natives  of  Kordofan  draw  but  little  profit 
from  ;ill  these  products  of  the  animal  and  vegetable 
kingdoms;  for,  independently  of  their  not  under- 
standing how  to  turn  the  various  articles  to  advantage, 
or  rather  to  perfect  them  by  art  or  industry,  they 
arc  too  lazy  to  do  any  thing  more,  than  is  necessary 
for  their  absolute  maintenance.  Very  few  artisans 
are,  consequently,  to  be  found  among  them  :  they 
consist  of  a  few  weavers  of  calicos,  smiths,  tanners, 
and  potters.  The  cottons  the  natives  produce  are 
not  sufficient  for  the  supply  of  the  country,  hence 
the  greater  part  of  the  consumption  is  imported 
from  Dongola,  Egypt,  and  Europe.  Not  that  there  is 
a  deficiency  of  the  necessary  means  for  cultivating 
a  larger  quantity  of  raw  cotton,  or  for  manufacturing 
it;  but  they  will  not  take  the  slightest  trouble 
about  it,  because  all  their  labour  would  be  purchas- 
ed by  the  government  at  an  arbitrary  price,  which 
would  not  repay  the  workman  for  his  trouble,  and 
they,  therefore,  prefer  to  lie  about  idle  all  the  day 
long,  or  to  pass  their  time  with  useless  games.  It 
is  really  an  interesting  sight  to  watch  a  weaver  at 
his  work  ;  and  I  know  not  which  is  more  astonish- 
ing. tin1  simplicity  of  the  implements  with  which  he 
toils,  or  the  patience  he  displays  in  his  occupation. 
The  weavers  can  only  work  in  the  dry  season,  be- 
cause their  houses  are  too  small  to  allow  them  to  fit 
up  a  loom  in  them  ;  they  consequently  place  the 
frames  close  to  the  door  of  their  huts,  and  work  in 
that  situation.  An  European  weaver,  even  the 


254  PRODUCTS. 

most  expert  in  his  art,  would  be  greatly  puzzled  if 
put  to  one  of  these  looms,  and  would  scarcely  know 
how  to  begin  his  work,  so  primitive  are  they  in 
construction.  Four  stout  sticks,  are  driven  into 
the  ground,  to  which  the  reed  and  other  parts  of 
the  apparatus  are  attached ;  the  weft  is  expanded 
at  a  distance  of  scarcely  one  span  from  the  ground, 
bound  to  a  pole  to  which  a  stone  is  attached,  and 
then  drawn  along  with  it.  The  frame  is  of  the 
dimensions  the  piece  manufactured  is  required  to 
have,  and  is  sometimes  twenty  ells  in  length.  The 
weaver  stands  in  a  pit  before  his  loom,  and  casts 
his  shuttle  at  a  venture.  With  every  second  throw 
his  thread  breaks,  and  then  it  takes  him  double  the 
time  to  tie  it  again ;  but  nothing  disturbs  the  equa- 
nimity of  the  weaver,  he  ties  his  knot  with  the 
greatest  patience,  and  again  throws  his  shuttle,  again 
breaks  his  thread,  and  again  readjusts  it.  Thus  it 
is  impossible  to  conceive  the  space  of  time  required 
to  finish  a  piece  about  twenty  ells  in  length.  They 
do  not  understand  how  to  manufacture  woven  goods 
from  goats'  hair. 

The  smiths  are  the  most  industrious  workmen  ; 
they  fabricate  all  the  necessary  household  and  agri- 
cultural implements,  are  at  the  same  time  miners, 
and  smelters  of  ore  ;  for  they  dig  the  iron  from  the 
bowels  of  the  earth  themselves,  and  melt  it  after  a 
very  simple  process ;  but  they  do  not  understand 
how  to  harden  it.  They  have  no  fixed  workshops, 
but  arrange  them  wheresoever  they  may  happen  to 


PRODUCTS.  255 

find  work  ;  the  fitting  up  of  the  forge  costs  them 
but  little  trouble,  for  a  large  stone  is  soon  found  on 
which  they  place  a  piece  of  iron,  this  serves  them 
then  as  an  anvil ;  close  to  this  essential  instrument, 
they  construct  a  small  furnace,  to  which  a  leather 
sack,  answering  the  purpose  of  bellows,  is  attached. 
They  make  no  heavy  objects,  for,  beyond  spear-heads, 
hashiash,  (an  agricultural  implement,)  double-edged, 
and  arrow-pointed  knives  of  various  sizes,  they  can- 
not produce  any  other  article.  Their  work  is  not 
well  rewarded ;  for  the  minerals,  such  as  the  iron  or 
charcoal  cost  them  scarcely  anything,  and  thus  they 
can  only  bring  their  manual  labour  into  calculation. 
Their  tools  are  not  particularly  complicated,  and  con- 
sist merely  of  a  few  hammers  and  of  a  pair  of  pincers. 

The  potters  manufacture  one  single  kind  of  ves- 
sel (Bursha)  in  form  of  a  bomb,  but  with  rather 
a  wider  neck,  and  this  is  used  as  a  receptacle  for 
water,  for  boiling,  roasting,  and  for  keeping  merissa 
in ;  they  make,  further,  a  round  and  rather  deep- 
ened plate  (Doga)  for  baking  bread,  and  pipe-heads 
more  of  a  German  shape  than  like  the  Turkish 
bowls  ;  all  these  articles  are,  however,  perfectly 
plain  without  the  slightest  attempt  even  at  ornament. 

There  are  many  tanners  in  the  province  who  tan 
the  leather  by  a  most  simple  process,  in  which 
they  employ  the  da  rut,*  the  pod  of  a  tree.  They 
uKo  manufacture  the  water-holders,  the  larger  of 
which,  ure  termed  Rai,  the  smaller  Ckir'beh  :f 

*  Of  the  Acacia,  according  to  Burckhardt's  Travels  in  Nubia, 
p.  2G4.— TR.  f  Girbe.— TR. 


256  PRODUCTS. 

the  latter  are  generally  made  of  goats'  hides,  as 
in  Egypt ;  the  goats  being  skinned  for  this  pur- 
pose like  hares  ;  the  interior  of  the  skin  is 
merely  tanned,  whilst  the  hair  is  left  externally  ; 
leathern  bags  are  also  fabricated  to  serve  the  office 
of  churns.  Of  leather  they  produce  further  sandals, 
shoes,  rahads,  and,  lastly,  shields.  The  rahad  is  a 
girdle  fringed  by  many  thousands  of  small  straps, 
and  is  generally  one,  or  half  a  span  in  length  ;  the 
girls  wear  these  fringes  round  their  loins,  and  they 
are  usually  decorated  with  agates  and  small  shells. 
Shields  are  mostly  manufactured  from  the  hide  of 
the  large  antelopes  ;  they  are  of  an  ovoid  shape, 
furnished  with  a  protuberance  in  the  centre.  On 
the  inner  surface,  a  piece  of  wood  bisects  them  lon- 
gitudinally, to  which  two  straps  are  attached  to 
receive  the  arm ;  they  are  very  stout,  for  a  thrust 
with  a  spear  or  a  sabre-cut  scarcely  ever  penetrates 
them.  The  sheep-skins  they  tan  very  neatly,  and 
impart  to  them  a  red,  yellow,  green,  or  other  opti- 
onal colour,  by  means  of  the  juice  of  certain  plants  ; 
the  natives  bind  their  shoes,  ornament  their  sandals, 
or  sew  up  charms  with  this  coloured  leather ;  they 
also  prepare  sheaths  for  knives  and  other  articles 
from  it. 

The  women  plait  some  very  ornamental  articles 
from  the  foliage  of  the  Palma  Thebaica,  further, 
bread-baskets  named  Tabak,  covers  for  dishes,  mats, 
&c.  They  dye  the  leaves  in  different  colours,  and 
decorate  them  with  patterns  that  are  really  astonish- 


PRODUCTS.  257 

iii£.  They  also  manufacture  funnels  for  straining 
mrrissa,  and  baskets  for  keeping  milk.  The  latter 
so  densely  worked  that,  when  the  fluid  has  once 
permeated  them,  they  do  not  even  leak.  Every  de- 
scription of  work  performed  in  this  country  is  very 
simple,  and  it  is  only  to  be  wondered  at,  that  the 
natives  are  able  to  produce  thus  much,  as  they  labour 
under  a  deficiency  of  implements  of  all  kinds. 


258        CAPITAL  OF  KORDOFAN;  LOBEID. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE    CAPITAL    OF     KORDOFAN,,    LOBEID. 

LOBEID,  or  Labayet,  as  it  is  also  termed,  is  a 
town  composed  of  several  villages,  from  one  of 
which  it  neither  differs  in  its  external  appearance 
nor  internal  arrangements,  excepting,  perhaps,  in 
being  of  greater  extent.  The  houses,  like  those  of 
the  villages,  are  mere  huts  of  straw,  some  few  of 
them  are,  indeed,  built  of  clay,  but  not  one  single 
house  is  of  stone.  The  former  town  of  the  same 
name  was  totally  destroyed  by  the  Turks  when  they 
took  possession  of  Kordofan,  and  the  six  villages, 
of  which  the  capital  of  this  province  now  consists, 
were  subsequently  built  on  the  same  site.  Although 
these  villages  are  not  separated  from  each  other  by 
the  intervention  of  a  large  space,  yet  each  of  them 
forms  a  separate  quarter,  and  is  inhabited  by  a 
distinct  class  of  men.  Wady  Naghele,  the  first  of 
these,  is  entirely  inhabited  by  the  Dongolavi  and 
foreign  merchants ;  El-Orta,  the  camp,  also  named 
the  town  of  the  Turks,  is  the  quarter  in  which  the 
government  buildings  are  situated,  consisting  of  two 


CAPITAL   OF   KORDOFAN;   LOBEID.  259 

Barracks,  the  arsenal,  the  hospital  and  the  residences 
of  the  officers,  and  of  many  married  soldiers  living 
out   of  barrack;    in  this  quarter  of  the  town   the 
Bazaar  is  also  seen.       Wady  Soffie  is  the  place  of 
abode   of  the    negroes  who    immigrated  with    the 
Melik-Moussalem  ;     Takarir    or    Takruri,    is    the 
village  of  the  pilgrims,  where  the  greater  part  of  the 
negroes  from  Pergu  and  other  districts  reside.     In 
this  part  of  the  town  the  straw-huts  of  Abumedina, 
the  brother  of  the  Sultan  of  Darfur,*  are  also  situate. 
In  Kongeri  those  emigrants  from  Darfur  dwell,  who 
have  become  residents,  and  remained  after  the  con- 
quest of  the  country  by  the  Egyptian  troops.     The 
sixth   village    includes    the    new  buildings    of  the 
Mogghrebeen,  who  are  not  provided  with  barracks, 
and   have   themselves   built   their   own    dwellings. 
These   six   villages   collectively  form  the  town  of 
Lobeid.       I  estimate  the    number   of   inhabitants, 
exclusively  of  the  military,  at  12,000  souls.     The 
houses    named    in    the    language    of   the   country, 
Tukkoli,  are  mostly  huts,  similar  to  those  described 
on  a  former  occasion.     The  town  does  not  present 
a  very  pleasing  appearance,  and  is,  on  the  whole, 
exceedingly   dull   and    dismal,    for    very  few    large 
houses  are  to  be  seen,  and  not  even  one  minaret, 
met  with  in  nearly  every  village  in  Egypt,  which, 
with  the  date-trees  planted  around  them,  give  those 
villages  at  least  a  more  cheerful  aspect. 

Nothing  can  be  more  monotonous  than   the  ap- 

*  Vid.  Chapter  xix. 

s  2 


260  CAPITAL   OF   KORDOFAN  ;    LOBEID. 

pearance  of  the  town  during  the  dry  season,  when 
the  detached  houses  present  themselves  with  all 
their  defects  and  meanness,  and  the  scanty  trees 
and  gardens  offer  no  diversification  of  scenery ;  for 
the  former  then  stand  as  bald  as  brooms,  and  the 
latter  are  not  even  thought  of.  The  burning  sand, 
moreover,  serves  to  remind  the  traveller  that  he  is  in 
a  desert,  and  there  is  not  the  slightest  object  to  be 
seen  that  might  delight  his  eye. 

How  marked  is  the  contrast  in  the  rainy  season  ! 
It  is  difficult  to  persuade  yourself  that  it  is  the 
same  place  you  have  shortly  before  seen  standing 
in  barren  nakedness.  All  those  spots,  where  no- 
thing but  sand  was  to  be  observed  before,  are  now 
clad  with  a  most  luxuriant  verdure,  interspersed 
with  the  most  beautiful  flowers.  The  hedges  round 
the  houses  are  interlaced  with  a  variety  of  creepers 
and  twining  plants,  whose  variegated  flowers  afford  a 
most  pleasing  spectacle.  The  environs  of  the  houses 
are  cultivated  with  dockn,  which  stands  so  high 
that  the  tops  of  the  roofs  are  only  to  be  seen  pro- 
jecting beyond  it ;  not  a  single  house  can  be  descried 
at  a  distance,  and  the  whole  country  appears  like 
one  large  forest.  The  entire  town  then  resembles 
a  park  intersected  by  mazes,  rendering  it  difficult 
for  a  stranger  to  extricate  himself,  or  to  find  out  a 
particular  house.  His  embarrassment  is  greatly  aug- 
mented by  the  circumstance  of  there  being  several 
thousands  of  small  straw  huts,  and  by  the  close  resem- 


CAPITAL   OF    KORDOFAN;    LOBEI1). 

blanre  of  the  houses  to  each  other — for  all  are  built 
alike — so  that  the  stranger  experiences  much  trouble 
in  even  recognising  the  house  he  may  be  lodging 
in.  But  all  this  is  in  its  way  unique,  and  diverts  the 
eye.  The  traveller  wanders  with  pleasure  through 
these  thousands  and  thousands  of  intricate  paths, 
and  is  delighted  at  every  step  with  the  beautiful 
variations  in  the  scene.  At  this  time,  however, 
the  tropical  showers  set  in,  bringing  a  number  of 
disagreeables  in  their  train;  for  the  rain  falls  so 
suddenly,  and  in  such  abundance,  that  the  soil  in 
some  places  cannot  absorb  the  water  with  sufficient 
rapidity  ;  and  thus  streams  are  formed,  or  the  ground 
is  ploughed  up  into  beds,  which  fill  in  an  instant, 
rendering  the  intercourse  between  one  quarter  and 
the  other,  or  even  from  house  to  house,  very  diffi- 
cult, if  they  do  not  totally  impede  all  communication. 
There  are  no  bridges,  not  even  as  much  as  boards 
laid  down  to  facilitate  the  passage  over  these 
brooks,  and  he  who  is  obliged  by  business  to  go 
out  immediately  after  the  rain,  has  no  alternative 
but  to  Made  through  all  these  streams  and  puddles 
barefooted.  It  would  be  impracticable  at  this 
period  to  ride  a  donkey  even,  for  notwithstanding 
their  sureness  of  foot,  the  ground  is  so  uneven  that 
they  must  tread  into  holes,  and  both  man  and  beaM 
would  run  the  risk  of  being  drowned.  Nearly  every 
year  there  are  instances  of  h»s  of  life  from  men 
venturing  to  go  from  hut  to  hut  by  night,  and  it  N 


262  CAPITAL   OF   KORDOFAN  ;   LOBEID. 

really  advisable  to  remain  confined  to  the  house 
until  these  torrents  are  lost  in  the  sand,  as  is  very 
soon  the  case. 

As  soon  as  the  harvest  is  concluded,  and  the 
stubble  is  quite  dry,  the  natives  proceed  to  burn 
the  remaining  herbage.  This  occupation  offers  a 
very  singular  spectacle.  The  grass  is  in  part  col- 
lected into  heaps,  and  old  and  young  congregate 
around  them  to  witness  the  exhibition  which  ensues  : 
the  pile  is  ignited,  and  a  dense  smoke  issues  from  it. 
Disturbed  by  the  fumes,  and  frightened  by  the  noise 
of  the  multitude,  thousands  of  locusts,  which  had 
lain  concealed  in  the  grass,  fly  up,  but  are  quickly 
seized  upon  by  the  bystanders,  impaled  and  roasted, 
and  offered  for  sale  in  the  market-place,  at  the  price 
of  five  for  one  para  or  hassasch ;  they  constitute  a 
favourite  dish  with  the  natives,  by  whom  they  are 
greedily  devoured.  After  this  act  of  purification  the 
place  again  presents  itself  to  view  in  all  its  naked- 
ness, and  many  other  matters  come  to  light,  which  had 
hitherto  been  hidden  by  the  grass :  bones  of  men  and 
animals  lie  scattered  about  in  all  the  roads,  for  no 
one  thinks  it  worth  his  trouble  to  inter  them.  The 
cause  of  this  barbarity  will  be  readily  understood 
when  it  is  known  that,  as  soon  as  a  slave  dies,  a  rope 
is  bound  round  his  foot,  by  which  he  is  dragged  out 
of  the  hut  with  as  little  ceremony  as  a  dead  beast, 
and  scraped  into  the  sand  anywhere,  or  even  left  to 
decompose  in  the  grass  until  the  hyaenas  come  to 
gnaw  his  bones  in  the  night ;  the  remains  are  de- 


CAPITAL  OF  KORDOFAN;  LOBEID.         2G3 

voured  in  the  morning  by  the  dogs,  two  or  more 
of  which  may  not  unfrequently  be  seen  fighting  over 
a  human  arm  or  foot.  The  hyaenas  are  really  in 
some  respects  a  blessing  to  these  countries,  they 
are,  in  fact,  the  scavengers,  consume  all  the  dead 
bodies  and  garbage,  and  thus  prevent  the  air  from 
being  poisoned  with  miasmata  and  nauseous  vapours. 
A  fallen  animal  is  treated  in  the  same  manner  as  a 
dead  slave;  it  is  thrown  on  to  the  neighbours' 
territory,  and  is  likewise  devoured  in  the  night  by 
the  beasts  of  prey ;  whilst  the  remainder  is  enjoyed 
during  the  day  by  the  hungry  dogs,  in  company 
with  greedy  vultures,  eagles,  and  other  rapacious 
birds.  The  places  of  sepulture  are  not  held  sacred  by 
these  uninvited  guests ;  for  the  dead  bodies  being 
generally  very  superficially  covered  over  with  earth, 
they  are  disinterred  at  night  by  the  hyaenas  and 
ravenous  dogs,  and  totally  consumed,  or  the  remains 
are  left  exposed  in  the  high  roads. 

Lobeid  counts  five  mosques,  only  one  of  which  is 
a  brick  building.  This  is  situated  in  the  quarter  of 
Wady-Naghele ;  it  is  quite  a  plain  edifice,  without 
that  decoration  so  generally  observed  about  the  places 
of  worship  in  Egypt.  All  the  other  public  buildings, 
as  also  the  houses  belonging  to  the  chief  Turks,  are 
si  m  pie  huts  of  clay,  differing  from  the  others  merely  in 
their  internal  arrangements,  which  consist,  however, 
only  in  the  construction  of  a  few  divans.  There  are 
three  barracks  at  Lobeid,  constituted  by  a  series  of 
stra \v-huts,  likewise  about  fifty  in  number,  which 


264  CAPITAL  OF   KORDOFAN;   LOBEID. 

are  enclosed  by  a  fence,  furnished  with  an  en- 
trance, the  gate  of  which  is  represented  by  a  large 
branch  of  a  tree.  The  hospital,  that  terror  of  all 
the  soldiery,  is  also  erected  of  clay.  One  of  the 
largest  buildings  in  Lobeid  is  the  governor's 
residence.  It  is  distinguished  from  the  other 
houses  only  by  its  magnitude,  and  a  rather  more 
comfortable  arrangement  of  its  interior,  for  in  con- 
struction it  resembles  all  the  other  buildings.  There 
is,  in  fact,  no  choice  of  material ;  thus  the  palaces 
of  the  great,  and  the  hovels  of  the  lower  orders,  are 
raised  of  clay,  and  their  outer  walls  covered  with  a 
coating  of  cow-dung.  Besides  a  large  saloon  and 
court,  the  government-house  has  an  orangery.  In 
the  court,  at  the  back  of  the  house,  the  divan,  or 
chamber  of  audience,  is  situated,  where  public  busi- 
ness is  transacted,  and  the  visits  are  received  of 
foreigners  and  natives,  as  also  of  all  subordinates, 
who,  according  to  Eastern  custom,  are  obliged  to  do 
honour  to  the  governor  periodically.  To  the  left  of 
this  saloon  is  the  lesser  divan,  as  it  is  called,  in 
which  a  captain  disposes  of  the  less  important 
matters,  or  arranges  disputes,  and  other  trifling 
affairs,  that  the  governor  may  not  be  unnecessarily 
troubled.  The  scriptoria  of  the  Coptic  secretaries, 
met  with  in  all  Mehemed  Ali's  divans  are  situate  on 
the  left  of  the  court.  During  my  residence  in  Kor- 
dofan,  Mahommed  Bey,  colonel  of  the  first  regiment 
of  the  line,  was  at  the  same  time  civil  and  military 
governor  of  the  province.  This  man,  a  Circassian 


CAPITAL   OF   KORDOFAN;  LOBEID.  265 

by  birth,  who  was  brought  as  a  slave  to  Egypt,  be- 
came a  mameluke  of  Mehemed  All's,  and  in  a  short 
time  rose  to  his  present  high  station.  He  is  a  man 
of  very  limited  capacity,  without  the  slightest 
education,  and  is  entirely  governed  by  his  depen- 
dants and  flatterers.  Besides  his  ignorance,  he  pos- 
sessed a  very  large  share  of  pride,  and  knew  how  to 
keep  up  the  appearance  of  great  importance  and  dig- 
nity ;  he  passed,  however,  the  greater  part  of  his  time 
in  conversation  with  a  fakeer,  to  whom  he  paid  far 
more  attention  than  to  his  other  subordinates,  and 
whose  visits  were  far  more  agreeable  to  him  than  those 
of  his  officers.  He  could  not  write  at  all,  could  read 
but  little,  and  only  understood  how  to  make  the 
impression  of  his  kashef*  (seal).  If  instructions,  or 
other  orders,  arrived  from  Cairo,  his  secretary, 
a  copt,  was  obliged  to  read  them  aloud,  and  when 
he  came  to  a  passage  which  was  to  be  kept  secret, 
lie  stopped  him,  and  ordered  him  to  finish  it  in  his 
private  room;  the  reports  for  Egypt  were  then  laid 
before  him  to  seal  with  his  kashef :  the  remainder  of 
his  time  he  passed  in  smoking,  and  drinking  coffee ; 
he  very  rarely  walked  in  the  open  air,  or  rode.  To 
drink  twenty  or  thirty  cups  of  coffee  daily  was  to 
him  a  trifle,  for  as  soon  as  a  visitor  arrived,  he 

*  The  Kashef,  or  impression  of  the  seal,  is  customary  over  the 
whole  of  the  East,  and  a  signature,  although  in  the  handwriting  of 
the  individual,  does  not  render  a  document,  or  other  paper,  valid 
unless  it  be  at  the  same  time  sealed  with  the  Kashef,  or  initials  of 

the  writer. 


266          CAPITAL  OF  KORDOFAN;  LOBEID. 

merely  looked  at  the  attendants  in  the  apartment, 
who  understood  his  meaning  instantly,  and  brought 
coffee  and  pipes,  the  former  was  kept  in  an  adjacent 
room  continually  on  the  fire.  It  is  a  rule  and 
should  be  made  general  to  pay  the  governor  visits  of 
etiquette,  as  they  are  termed,  at  certain  times,  for  the 
Turks  attach  great  importance  to  this  custom,  and  a 
neglect  of  this  mark  of  respect  might  give  offence. 
Very  often  visitors  arrive,  who,  after  a  mute  saluta- 
tion, sit  down,  as  soon  as  invited  to  do  so,  drink  the 
coffee  presented  to  them,  and  in  a  short  time  rise, 
taking  their  departure  as  mutely  as  they  came,  with 
a  silent  greeting. 

The  ammunition,  and  other  military  stores,  are 
contained  in  an  appropriate  building,  enclosed  by  a 
mud  wall,  and  surrounded  by  a  fosse,  which  is, 
however,  scantily  supplied  with  water  during  three 
months,  and  remains  empty  for  the  remainder  of 
the  year.  The  wall  is  constructed  of  clay,  and 
might  easily  be  breached  by  stones.  It  may  be 
imagined  what  superintendence  is  there  prevalent ; 
and  it  is  really  astonishing  that  an  invasion  is  not 
undertaken  on  the  part  of  the  natives  of  Darfour  to 
revenge  themselves  for  the  loss  of  their  stolen  camels, 
more  especially  at  the  time  of  the  slave-hunts,  when 
nearly  the  whole  of  the  military  force  is  absent, 
and  the  entire  garrison  of  Kordofan  does  not  con- 
sist of  six  hundred  men.  They  might  very  soon, 
and  with  but  little  trouble  at  that  time,  capture  or 
destroy  all  the  military  supplies,  and  before  a  rein- 


t] 

\ 


CAPITAL   OF   KORDOFAN  ;   LOBEID.  267 

forcement  could  be  despatched  from  the  Nuba 
mountains,  the  enemy  might  plunder  and  sack 
everything  without  meeting  with  the  slightest  re- 
sistance. 

Opposite  the  .government  buildings  the  gallows 
is  erected.  Thi$  engine  of  civilization  is  composed 
of  two  posts  driven  vertically  into  the  ground, 
and  surmounted  by  a  cross-beam,  to  which  the 
victims  of  a  rigid  penal  law  are  suspended,  with- 
out further  ceremony.  Not  far  from  the  fatal 
scaffold  is  an  elevation,  or  clay  mound,  furnished 
with  a  few  steps,  where  the  priest  reads  a  prayer 
on  high-feasts,  the  service  being  only  attended  by 
the  male  population  of  the  town.  The  Soock,  or 
proper  market-place,  is  contiguous  to  this  mound, 
t  would  be  an  egregious  fallacy  to  imagine  that 
order  reigned  here  predominant,  as  in  other  towns 
in  the  equally  uncivilized  East ;  for  not  only  are 
all  objects  intended  for  sale  jumbled  pell-mell  to- 
gether, and  exposed  without  consideration  to  the 
inclemencies  of  the  weather,  and  other  destructive 
influence,  but  it  costs,  moreover,  indescribable  trou- 
ble to  obtain  even  such  articles  as  you  may  be  willing 
to  purchase.  Close  to  this  market-place  on  the 
right,  stands  the  only  coffee-house  in  the  whole 
province  of  Kordofan.  In  the  year  1838  it  was 
closed,  and  no  tenant  was  to  be  found  for  a  consi- 
derable time  on  account  of  the  high  rent  demanded 
by  the  government  ;  the  price  of  coffee  had  aNo 
at  thi>  period  to  eighteen  piafltei*  (five  shillings 


268  CAPITAL   OF   KORDOFAN;   LOBEID. 

and  threepence)  the  rottolo  (about  three  quarters  of 
a  pound),  as  none  had  arrived  from  Abyssinia.  In 
the  year  1839  the  establishment  was  again  opened 
by  the  new  governor  Yussuff-Bey,  in  consideration 
of  this  beverage  being  so  indispensable  to  the 
Turkish  officers. 

The  remaining  store-houses  consist  of  three  walls 
of  clay  covered  in  by  a  thatched  roof;  the  goods 
are  here  laid  down  on  the  sand  and  exposed,  as 
I  before  mentioned,  to  all  weathers.  The  upper 
part  of  the  market-place  is  appropriated  to  the  sale 
of  dockn,  camels,  cows,  sheep,  goats,  asses,  and 
other  domestic  animals ;  next  to  these  may  be  seen 
the  djelabi  with  the  commodity  they  have  brought 
from  Cairo  lying  on  the  sand ;  then  come  the  water- 
dealers,  and  lastly,  at  either  side  of  the  soock,  the 
women  exhibit  themselves,  sitting  down  in  four 
or  six  rows,  to  sell  sour  milk,  butter,  lard,  garden 
and  wild  fruits ;  they  bring  also  in  addition  to  the 
articles  mentioned,  tobacco  pipe-bowls,  eggs,  etc.,  for 
sale;  the  stands  of  the  dealers  in  wood  and  grass 
are  contiguous  to  these,  and  occupy  a  large  extent 
of  the  market-place,  for  as  wood  and  grass  may 
be  collected  by  any  one,  there  is  considerable  com- 
petition in  this  branch  of  trade.  The  portion  of 
the  market  occupied  by  the  women,  affords  a  most 
singular  sight,  for  they  sit  crowded  together  with- 
out order  or  regard  for  personal  comfort,  and  the 
small  vacant  space  is  densely  filled  with  buyers, 
who  will  not  budge  an  inch  to  make  room  for  each 


CAPITAL   OF    KORDOFAN;    LOBEID.  2G9 

other;  thus,  in  order  to  move  from  place  to  place, 
you  have,  literally  speaking,  to  walk  over  the  heads 
of  the  women,  cowering  down  on  the  ground,  and 
they  allow  this  want  of  gallantry  without  a  murmur. 
Altogether,  that  quarrelling,  so  common  in  Egyp- 
tian markets,  is  never  to  be  heard  here.  Beside 
the4  retailers  and  venders,  the  public  criers  must 
be  mentioned;  these  people  deal  in  old  clothes  and 
other  articles,  and  have  no  permanent  stand,  but 
holding  the  object  for  sale  high  up  in  their  hands, 
dispose  of  it  according  to  the  custom  in  other  towns 
in  Egypt,  to  the  highest  bidder.  This  descrip- 
tion of  auction  is  not  carried  on  at  a  fixed  place, 
for  the  auctioneer,  bawling  out  the  price  last  bid, 
presses  through  the  crowd  of  human  beings,  and 
runs  from  place  to  place  until  an  advance  is  made, 
whereupon  he  is  obliged  to  return  to  the  former 
bidder,  and  inform  him  that  his  offer  has  been  su- 
perseded. It  is  very  remarkable  that  these  criers 
can  always  accurately  find  out  the  man  who  has 
made  a  bid  for  the  article  in  question,  and  thus 
expressed  a  wished  to  become  a  purchaser,  in 
the  immense  crowd.  If  no  one  advance  on  the 
last  offer  the  article  put  up  for  sale  is  delivered 
after  several  perambulations  to  the  highest  bidder. 
This  species  of  auction  is  the  public  sale  in  common 
vogue  in  Egypt.  If  an  European  die  leaving  many 
effects,  a  formal  auction  is  advertised  by  his  respec- 
tive consul,  and  the  chattels  are  publicly  sold  in 
the  same  manner  as  in  Europe  ;  inconsiderable 


270  CAPITAL   OF   KORDOFAN  ;   LOBEID. 

relics  are,  however,  disposed  of  by  the  criers  above- 
mentioned.  Market  lasts  at  Lobeid  generally  from 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  until  sunset ;  for  the 
heat  during-  the  day  being  insupportable,  no  one 
leaves  his  house  without  cogent  reasons,  before 
three  in  the  afternoon,  and  it  would  thus  be  useless 
for  the  merchants  and  dealers  to  congregate  in  the 
market-place  at  an  early  hour. 

Provisions  and  articles  of  domestic  economy  pro- 
duced in  the  country  are,  generally  speaking,  cheap ; 
but  in  Lobeid,  as  in  all  other  capitals,  they  are  more 
expensive  than  in  the  environs,  where  they  may  be 
procured  at  a  distance  of  eight  or  twelve  miles  from 
the  town,  at  two-thirds  of  their  cost  in  the  market- 
place. A  large  sheep,  the  price  of  which  is  from 
fifteen  to  eighteen  piasters  in  Lobeid,  may  be  bought 
in  the  villages,  at  a  distance  of  not  quite  twelve 
miles  from  the  town,  for  six  piasters  at  the  utmost, 
and  the  same  observation  applies  proportionately  to 
all  other  provisions.  The  price  of  the  finest  camels 
is  on  an  average  one  hundred  and  fifty  piasters,  that 
of  ordinary  animals  from  forty  to  eighty  piasters 
(from  eight  to  sixteen  shillings).  The  most  revolt- 
ing scene  on  the  Soock,  is  the  sale  of  slaves,  which 
takes  place  every  day  throughout  the  year.  The 
unfortunate  being  offered  for  sale  is  led  about  like 
any  other  commodity  by  the  crier,  who  expatiates 
upon  the  beauty,  or  other  characteristics  of  the 
slave,  and  walking  before  him,  bawls  out  the  price. 
If  a  purchaser  present  himself,  he  enters  upon  an  ex- 


CAPITAL  OF   KORDOFAN  ;   LOBEID.  271 

animation  of  his  fellow  creature,  as  we  should  examine 
a  head  of  cattle,  in  Europe ;  he  looks  at  his  teeth, 
eyes,  hands,  and  feet,  and  inquires  into  his  age,  place 
of  birth,  and  in  short,  into  every  circumstance  which 
might  influence  his  price  while  the  unfortunate  wretch 
follows  the  crier  like  a  dog,  anxiously  awaiting  his 
future  fate.  A  mother  may  not  be  separated  from 
the  infant  at  her  breast,  but  children  of  three  or 
four  years  of  age  may  be  disposed  of  separately ;  the 
latter  are  very  reasonable;  their  price  varies  only  from 
thirty  to  sixty  piasters  (eight  and  sixpence  to  seven- 
teen shillings).  Full-grown  slaves  fluctuate  accord- 
ing to  the  supply  of  the  market ;  girls  and  boys 
from  ten  to  fifteen  years  of  age,  are  in  the  greatest 
request,  and  cost  from  one  hundred  to  three  hun- 
dred  piasters;  if  there  be  few  for  sale,  and  many 
Djelabi  are  about  to  travel  to  Cairo,  the  price, 
of  course,  rises.  There  are  certain  conditions 
under  which  a  slave  may  be  returned  to  the  ven- 
der, e.  g.  if  he  have  offensive  breath,  or  snore  in  his 
sleep,  or  be  troubled  with  incontinence  of  urine, 
for  any  one  of  these  vices  he  may  be  sent  back 
at  the  expiration  of  the  third  day ;  should  a  female 
slave  be  pregnant,  the  term  is  somewhat  prolonged. 
The  slave-trade  is  not  always  carried  on  in  retail, 
for  the  Djelabi  buy  slaves  in  lots ;  on  these  occa- 
sions, however,  the  individuals  are  singly  examined, 
and  the  aged  and  infirm  are  separated  from  the  flock. 
The  chief  object  is  to  have  as  many  young  girl*  and 
boys  as  possible  in  a  lot,  and  to  be  able-  to  transport 


272  CAPITAL   OF   KORDOFAN  ;    LOBEID. 

them  safely  to  Egypt ;  thus  every  one  in  purchasing 
a  male  or  female  slave,  looks  chiefly  to  their  age, 
and  a  boy  or  girl,  beyond  the  thirteenth  or  fifteenth 
year,  is  seldom  sold  in  the  bazaar  of  Cairo  or  Alex- 
andria ;  every  one,  in  fact,  prefers  bringing  them  up 
according  to  his  own  taste,  and  for  this  purpose 
selects  the  youngest.  The  older  women  and  men 
exposed  for  sale  in  the  bazaar,  of  the  towns  above 
named,  are  mostly  such  as  are  resold  by  their  mas- 
ters for  some  particular  defect,  and  it  is  by  no 
means,  therefore,  advisable  to  purchase  them. 

The  soock,  or  market  is  the  only  place  of  diversion 
for  the  European  or  stranger  in  general,  at  Lobeid. 
Besides  the  pleasing  spectacle  afforded  by  the  bustle 
of  the  place,  the  crowd,  and  various  groups  of  deal- 
ers and  Djelabs,  all  the  Turkish  officers,  Coptic 
secretaries,  and  the  few  foreign  merchants  collect  in 
the  market-place,  around  the  single  coffee-house  we 
have  before  mentioned,  where  each  man  endeavours 
to  surpass  the  other  in  retailing  news.  Although  deep 
in  the  interior  of  Africa,  there  is  no  lack  of  news 
from  the  most  distant  parts  of  the  world  ;  and  even 
when  at  the  time  of  the  heavy  rains  the  communi- 
cation with  Egypt  is  interrupted,  intelligence  may  be 
heard  every  day  from  that  quarter ;  sometimes  it 
consists  of  a  most  palpable  tissue  of  lies ;  yet  it 
is  greedily  devoured  by  many  a  patient  ear,  because 
agreeable  to  the  majority  of  the  audience.  The  re- 
port usually  circulates  that  Mehemed  Ali  is  at  war 
with  the  Turks  in  Syria,  and  carrying  on  warfare  at 


CAPITAL   OF   KORDOFAN  ;   LOBEID.  273 

the  same  time  in  Arabia,  and  is  beaten  everywhere ; 
then  it  is  generally  added,  that  the  regiment  quar- 
tered at  Lobeid  would  receive  orders  by  the  next 
dromedary  to  march  to  Egypt.  This  is,  of  course, 
most  pleasing  intelligence  to  the  Turkish  officers, 
who  are  ardently  longing  for  a  release,  and  is  bruit- 
ed about  with  innumerable  variations  and  additions. 
Then  they  talk  about  England,  Germany,  Russia, 
and  France,  these  being  the  only  countries  in  Europe 
with  which  the  Turks  are  acquainted.  In  one  or  the 
other  of  these  states  there  is  sure  to  be  always  war 
declared  by  the  Grand  Sultan,  because  the  sultan  of 
the  country  which  happens  to  form  the  topic  of 
conversation  has  failed  to  pay  the  tribute  due  to 
Constantinople  ;  for  the  majority  of  the  Turks  still 
uphold  the  absurd  opinion  that  these  four  countries 
are  tributary  to  the  Grand  Sultan  of  Constantinople. 
Thus  the  conversation  turns  upon  these  political 
questions.-  If  a  sudden  shower  should  happen  to 
come  on  when  least  expected ;  for  the  rain,  as  in 
all  tropical  countries,  generally  falls  in  torrents,  and, 
indeed,  without  the  slightest  premonitory  sign,  so 
that  it  is  difficult  even  to  reach  a  place  of  shelter, 
the  confusion  thus  created  would  excite  the  most 
hypochondriacal  person  to  laughter.  The  mass  of 
human  beings  who  stood,  or  sat,  crowded  together 
like  a  swarm  of  locusts,  are  in  an  instant  scattered 
in  all  directions.  The  screams  of  the  women, 
afraid  of  losing  their  goods  in  the  crowd  or  of 
seeing  them  spoiled  by  the  rain  ;  the  cries  of  the 

T 


274  CAPITAL   OF   KORDOFAN  ;   LOBE1D. 

children  who  have  lost  their  way,  and  are  in  search 
of  their  parents ;  the  alertness  of  the  men,  who  like 
all  the  rest  dread  the  rain  more  than  blows,  and 
endeavour  to  escape  as  quickly  as  they  can,  all  tend 
to  render  the  scene  of  confusion  so  ludicrous,  that 
the  most  stern  spectator  would  be  involuntarily 
disposed  to  laugh.  It  is  not  the  fear  of  ruining 
their  garments  that  induces  them  to  scamper  away 
so  fast  from  the  rain,  for  the  most  of  them  have 
no  clothes  to  spoil,  and  the  Djelabi  merely  wear  a 
shirt,  which  the  contact  of  a  little  pure  water,  more- 
over, could  not  harm ;  and  the  Turks  and  foreigners 
who  are  entirely  dressed  wear  linen  clothing,  which 
water  cannot  injure ;  and  yet  they  stand  in  as  much 
awe  of  every  drop  of  rain  as  if  burning  sparks  were 
falling  among  them.  They  are  impressed  with  the 
absurd  idea  that  to  get  once  a  little  wet  is  sufficient 
to  produce  a  fever.  Their  apprehension  is,  strictly 
speaking,  not  so  very  erroneous,  for  the  slightest 
cold  during  the  rainy  season  is  sufficient  to  stretch 
the  most  healthy  man  on  a  bed  of  sickness,  from 
which  it  will  be  very  doubtful  whether  he  recover. 
High  feasts  and  festivals  create  no  variation  in 
the  ordinary  scene,  as  a  general  rule,  and  none  of 
those  fantasias*  so  common  in  Egypt  are  seen  on 
Sundays  and  holidays  at  Lobeid  ;  the  only  amuse- 

*  An  expression  in  use  among  the  natives  of  Egypt,  Syria,  and 
Arabia,  to  denote  an  amusement  and  every  description  of  orna- 
ment or  pomp;  thus  the  women  are  said  to  have  a.  fantasia  on  their 
heads  or  dress,  as  they  go  out  to  witness  &  fantasia. 


CAPITAL   OF    KORDOFAN;   LOBEID.  275 

in  cut,  as  I  have  before  observed,  consists  in  the 
dances  and  songs  of  the  women  and  girls,  after  sun- 
set, when  every  one  returns  to  his  house. 

In  the  quarter  of  the  town  named  Kongeri,  which 
N  inhabited  by  the  men  of  Darfour,  dwells  the 
sheikh  Sultan  Tehme,  a  descendant  of  the  sultans 
of  Darfour.  His  present  occupation  is  very  ill- 
suited  to  his  illustrious  birth,  for  he  is  the  mutilator 
of  those  poor  boys  who  subsequently  serve  as  guards 
in  the  various  harems.  This  sheikh  possesses  two 
of  the  largest  copper  kettle-drums  I  ever  saw  in  my 
life ;  they  were  presented  to  him  by  Mehemed  Ali, 
as  a  mark  of  distinction.  These  drums  are  beaten 
all  day  long  on  every  Friday  and  festival ;  but  their 
sound  is  by  no  means  very  agreeable  to  those  who 
are  not  over  fond  of  music.  This  sheikh  presents  a 
very  imposing  appearance,  for  though  black  as  the 
night,  he  has  a  very  luxuriant  beard,  not  very  gene- 
ral among  the  negroes,  which  he  dies  with  a  poma- 
tum of  a  bright  red  colour;  it  forms  a  striking  con- 
trast with  his  black  shining  face.  When  he  rides 
into  the  country  his  horse  is  preceded  by  two  musi- 
cians blowing  during  the  whole  march  on  a  leathern 
pipe  with  eight  holes. 

When  1  arrived  at  Lobeid  I  only  found  one  sin. 
<rle  Kurnpean  living.  Dr.  I  ken,  whom  I  have  before 
mentioned,  a  native  of  Hanover,  who,  like  most  of 
the  Europeans,  after  a  short  residence  there  paid 
his  tribute1  to  the  climate.  He  is  buried  in  the 
court  of  his  own  house,  which  is  situated  in  the 

T    2 


276          CAPITAL  OF  KORDOFAN;  LOBEID. 

quarter  or  village  of  Takarir,  near  the  residence  of 
the  sultan  Abumedina  of  Darfur.  The  govern- 
ment has  appropriated  his  house  to  themselves,  and 
converted  it  into  a  magazine  for  leather.  Seven 
other  Europeans,  besides  Dr.  Iken,  breathed  their 
last  at  Lobeid,  and  are  buried  on  the  north  side 
of  the  hospital  square.  I  planted  a  tree  on  each 
grave,  and  had  already  fixed  upon  a  place  of  rest 
near  them.  After  I  had  recovered  from  my  dan- 
gerous illness  in  a  slight  measure,  and  was  just  able 
to  creep  along  with  the  assistance  of  a  stick,  my 
favourite  promenade  was  to  those  graves ;  they  were 
the  only  relics  of  Europeans  I  could  find  in  that 
distant  country,  and  I  was  under  the  influence  of  a 
peculiar  feeling  when  arriving  at  those  hillocks ;  I 
knew  myself  in  the  company  of  Europeans,  although 
departed  from  this  world ;  I  fancied  myself  in  reality 
in  their  presence,  and  I  could  have  believed  that 
they  were  listening  with  sympathy  to  my  soft  com- 
plaints, heard  my  longing  voice  for  my  distant 
fatherland,  and  were  congratulating  me  on  my  re- 
covery and  speedy  departure  from  this  country,  so 
fatal  to  Europeans.  When  I  paid  my  last  visit  to 
this  spot  I  was  overpowered  by  that  same  feeling 
we  experience  when  parting  with  our  friends. 

Taking  a  summary  view  of  Lobeid  it  appears 
only  to  be  a  large  village ;  the  barren  country 
around  it  presents  a  slightly  excavated  surface,  and 
the  rain-water  flowing  towards  the  village  forms  a 
torrent  which  runs  towards  the  north,  but  soon  dis- 


CAPITAL   OF    KORDOFAN  ;    LOBEID.  277 

appears  in  the  sand.  The  environs  are  cultivated 
with  dockn.  Lobeid  offers  many  spectacles  render- 
ing it  interesting  to  the  traveller,  the  chief  of  which 
is  the  concourse  of  men  from  the  most  distant  parts 
of  Africa,  even  from  Timbuctoo,  and  other  negro 
states  as  yet  totally  unknown  to  Europeans.  Before 
the  first  rays  of  the  sun  emerge  from  the  sea  of  desert 
sand,  the  whole  of  the  population  is  on  foot,  and 
each  man  begins  the  business  of  the  day;  with  the 
majority,  however,  this  only  consists  in  lying  on 
the  sand,  or  visiting  his  neighbour  when  the  same 
interesting  occupation  is  performed  in  company. 
The  flocks  are  driven  to  their  pasture  by  a  shepherd 
riding  on  his  ox,  the  slaves  are  led  to  work  with 
chains  on  their  feet,  caravans  are  passing  and  re- 
passing,  and  all  this  affords  an  unique  exhibition. 
In  the  streets  songs  are  heard  everywhere,  even  the 
female  slave  at  the  Morale  sings  her  plaintive  ditty 
of  attachment  to  her  home,  whilst  grinding  the 
corn ;  in  fact  all  is  life  and  motion  as  in  a  beehive ; 
but  from  11  o'clock  A.M.  till  3  o'clock  P.M.,  during 
the  hot  months,  quietude  and  silence  reign  in  the 
streets,  and  the  whole  town  resembles  a  city  of  the 
dead ;  every  one  seeks  shelter  from  the  fierce  rays 
of  a  vertical  sun  in  his  own  hut,  and  there  enjoys  his 
rest,  for  it  is  impossible  to  exist  out  of  the  shade ; 
onlv  a  few  hungry  dogs  may  then  be  seen  running 
about  in  the  street-,  and  even  they  do  not  remain 
long  in  the  open  air,  but  seek  a  shady  place  with  all 
speed,  where  they  may  protect  themselves  fnmi  the 


278  CAPITAL   OF   KORDOFAN;   LOBEID. 

burning  heat.  This  recess  lasts  until  3  o'clock, 
when  every  one,  refreshed  by  his  siesta,  returns  to 
his  occupations.  The  streets  now  become  again  as 
animated  as  they  were  at  sunrise,  but  the  most  lively 
scene  is  then  in  the  market-place ;  this  state  of  ac- 
tivity lasts  until  the  sun  sets,  when  the  inhabitants 
all  retire  again  to  their  houses  to  recover  from  the 
fatigues  of  the  day.  The  streets  become  suddenly 
empty,  for  with  sunset  night  closes  in ;  there  is 
no  twilight,  and  every  one  is  anxious  for  repose. 
This  silence  continues  until  they  have  all  finished 
their  frugal  meal,  for  the  poorest  man  finds  the  ne- 
cessaries of  life  in  his  hut,  or  should  he  really  suffer 
want,  goes  to  his  nearest  neighbour,  where  his 
wants  are  willingly  supplied.  As  soon  as  the  repast 
is  over,  large  fires  may  be  seen  burning  before  the 
huts  far  and  near ;  drums,  beating  of  hands,  and 
songs  resound  in  all  directions,  and  the  girls  and 
young  men  congregate  for  the  merry  dance,  which 
is  kept  up  until  midnight  ;  and  then  the  whole 
town  once  more  becomes  as  suddenly  silent,  for 
each  man,  with  but  few  exceptions,  betakes  him- 
self again  to  rest.  The  streets  are  now,  indeed, 
wrapped  in  the  silence  of  the  grave,  save  that  the 
stillness  of  the  night  is  occasionally  interrupted  by 
the  howl  of  a  hyaena,  or  the  yelling  of  the  timid 
dogs.  This  mode  of  life  is  repeated  daily,  and  but 
rarely  undergoes  even  the  slightest  variation. 


COMMERCE.  279 


CHAPTER  XV. 


COMMERCE. 


THE  monopoly  enjoyed  by  the  Egyptian  govern- 
ment in  this  province  totally  impedes  trade  in 
general.  The  chief  articles  of  commerce  are  not 
only  all  bought  by  the  authorities,  who  are,  more- 
over, protected  by  a  law  prohibiting  any  private 
person  from  bringing  them  into  the  market ;  but 
the  immense  duties  levied  on  the  goods  render  it 
impossible  to  transport  them  to  Egypt;  this  rule 
especially  applies  to  ivory.  Every  one  is,  therefore, 
forced  to  sell  to  the  government, — the  most  arbitrary 
species  of  monopoly,  or  rather  worse,  inasmuch  as 
the  individual  suffers  an  outlay  in  capital,  freight, 
and  duty.  The  country  might  produce  indigo, 
opium,  sugar,  and  many  other  articles,  which  would 
yield  an  immense  profit,  both  to  private  persons 
and  to  the  administration,  for  the  soil  requires  but 
little  cultivation,  and  brings  forth  every  plant  in 
great  luxuriance;  but  the  onus  placed  upon  the 
province  by  the  despotic  government  discourages 
the  individual  from  attempting  more  than  trusting 


280  COMMERCE. 

entirely  to  nature.     The  whole  population  live  in 
fear,  and  are  not  one  day  sure  of  their  property ;  thus 
every  one  looks  only  to  the  moment,  and  troubles 
himself  very  little   about  his   successor.     All    the 
produce   met  with   in    commerce  is  in  its  natural 
state,   and  few  manufactured  goods  are  ever  seen 
beyond  some  solitary  cottons,  and  objects  in  leather. 
The  articles   of  export  are  :   gum,  hides,  senna- 
leaves,    ivory,    rhinoceros'- horns,    cattle,    tamarinds, 
ostrich-feathers,   ostrich-eggs,  gold  in  rings  and  in 
grain,  water-bags,  salt,  tobacco,  sim-sim,  cisme,  and 
slaves.     The  first  three  articles  named  are  the  most 
lucrative  in  a  commercial  point  of  view,  and  mono- 
polized, of  course,  by  the  government.     The  gum 
Arabic  is  collected  in  the  forests  a  few  months  after 
the  expiration  of  the  rainy  season,  and  we  may  say  by 
force  ;  for  the  government  pays  the  cantaro  of  forty- 
four  oock'ckahs,  equivalent  to  one  hundred  and  ten 
pounds,  with  fifteen  piasters  (four  shillings  and  four- 
pence)  only.  They  might  greatly  increase  their  profits 
if  they  were  to  remunerate  the  labour  better,  and  to 
pay  more  attention  to  this  branch  of  trade,  although 
it  must  be  allowed  to  a  certain  extent  to  rest  under 
the  influence  of  the  weather,  for  if  much  rain  fall, 
the  trees  are  the  more  prolific  ;  but  the  collection 
itself  is  performed  with  the  utmost  carelessness,  as 
the  people   employed  are  driven  to  this  work  by 
force,  and  receive  but  small  wages.     Add  to  this, 
that  whole  forests  are  being  annually  hewn  down, 
and    converted    into    arable    land,    whilst    no    one 


COMMERCE.  281 

dreams  of  replanting  trees,  a  provision  considered 
a  work  of  supererogation,  and  left  entirely  to  na- 
ture. 

If  the  export  of  gum  and  ivory  to  Europe  should 
ever  become  a  free-trade,  merely  subjected  to  duty, 
these  two  articles  will  yield  a  very  considerable  profit 
to  those  who  may  have  the  good  fortune  to  benefit 
first  by  this  alteration,   and  who  take  the  trouble 
to  repair  to  the  spot.     The  gathering  takes  place, 
as  I  have  before-mentioned,  at   the  close  of  the 
rainy  season,  in  the  months  of  November,  Decem- 
ber, and  January ;  the  gum  obtained  is  of  the  finest 
quality,    and    is    erroneously    named   gum    Arabic. 
Kordofan  yields,  in  average  years,  from  three  thou- 
sand five  hundred   to   four  thousand   loads  of  this 
product,  or  from  ten  to  fourteen  thousand  hundred- 
weight, at  forty-four  oock'ckahs.     I  have  been  as- 
sured  by   many   persons   that    an   addition    of  six 
thousand  hundred-weight  might  be  made  to  this 
quantity,  if  the  labour  of  the  persons  employed  in 
the  collection  were  but  better  remunerated.    Before 
the  introduction  of  the  monopoly,  it  was  sold  in  the 
following  manner,  a  plan  which  will  be  again  pur- 
sued as  soon  as  the  present  statutes  are  repealed. 
A  number  of  men,  women,  and  children,  gather  the 
raw  gum  in  the  forest  into  baskets,  (Capable  of  con- 
taining twelve  rottoli  (the  rottolo  about  three  quar- 
ters of  a  pound).     Forty  of  these  baskets  constitute 
a  camel-load,  which  weighs  four  hundred  and  eiglity 
rottoli,  and  reckoning  the  taiv  of  the  cases  at  h'vr 


282  COMMERCE. 

hundred  rottoli ;  the  cost  of  this  quantity  would  vary 
from  five  and  a  half  to  six  Spanish  dollars.  These 
five  hundred  rottoli*  cannot  be  transported  by 
Camel  across  the  desert  to  Debba,  on  the  Nile,  be- 
cause the  load  would  be  too  heavy ;  for  three  to 
four  contari,  at  one  hundred  rottoli,  form  the 
average  load  of  each  camel.  Another  expedient, 
which  might  be  turned  to  very  good  account,  would 
be  to  pack  the  gum  in  ox-hides  instead  of  cases; 
for  the  government  buys  dry  hides  at  three  piasters 
(ten  pence  halfpenny),  and  at  Alexandria  they  are 
sold  at  thirty  piasters  (six  shillings  and  sixpence). 
It  would  be  imperatively  necessary  to  employ  the 
natives  in  the  purchase  of  gum,  sending  them  out 
in  all  directions  into  the  various  villages;  but  I 
would  advise  every  one  to  be  on  his  guard  against 
the  Dongolavi,  and  it  should  be  a  rule  in  general 
not  to  trust  any  native  with  much  money,  for  it 
would  stand  a  very  good  chance  of  being  totally 
lost.  Those  who  are  furnished  with  articles  in  con- 
sumption in  the  country  may  effect  one-third  of 
their  outlay  in  goods,  and  will  thus  realize  an 
average  profit  of  fifty  per  cent. 

The  place  best  adapted  for  the  purchase  of  gum 
would  be  Bara,  and  I  adjoin  a  list  of  the  expenses  of 
freightage  and  duties  thence  to  Cairo,  as  defrayed 
before  the  introduction  of  the  monopoly : — 


*  Wind  and  heat  cause  a  diminution  in  the  weight  of  the  gum 
before  it  reaches  Cairo. 


COMMERCE.  283 

.£.    s.    (/. 

To  outlay  for  four  hundred  and  eighty  rottoli  (about 
three  and  a  half  hundred-weight),  at  forty-four 
oock'ckahs  .  .  .  .  .  .  .100 

Freight  to  Dongola 100 

„      from  Dongola  to  Wady  Chalfa       .         .         .       0  14     0 

„       per  boat  to  Cairo 048 

Duty  in  Kordofan 089 

„       Darawi 0  11     0 

„       Cairo  .  050 


435 

As  the  export  duty  is,  according  to  the  existing 
laws,  only  twelve  shillings,  ad  valorem,  the  customs 
would  amount  only  to  sixteen  shillings  per  hundred- 
weight to  Alexandria. 

In  the  countries  bordering  on  Kordofan,  as  Nuba, 
Takele,  Kodero,  etc.,  the  gum  rots  every  year,  be- 
cause Mehemed  Ali  makes  no  use  of  it,  but  is  too 
avaricious  to  allow  any  other  person  to  derive 
benefit  from  it.  The  purchase  might  in  those 
places  be  effected  by  barter. 

IVORY. — Many  of  the  merchants  at  Trieste,  Mar- 
seilles, and  Livorno,  are  even  at  the  present  day  of 
the  opinion  that  the  ivory  imported,  via  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  is  found  in  the  East  Indies,  and  have, 
therefore,  given  it  the  name  of  Asiatic  ivory  ;  that, 
on  the  other  hand,  brought  by  way  of  Tripoli  and 
Alexandria,  they  have  termed  African  ivory;  where- 
as I  can  assure  them,  that  more  than  one-third,  if 
not  the  half  of  the  former,  is,  properly  speaking, 
African.  During  nineteen  months  of  my  travels  in 
(he  interior  of  Africa.  I  endeavoured  to  collect 


284  COMMERCE. 

accurate  information  concerning  this  article  of  com- 
merce, and  I  think  that  my  experience  will  prove  of 
sufficient  interest  to  entitle  me  to  give  it  at  length. 
Mehemed  Ali  monopolizes  the  trade  in  ivory,  and 
thinks  that  he  receives  all  the  ivory  imported  into 
his  states  from  the  centre  of  Africa ;  but  he  is  very 
much  mistaken  in  this  respect,  for  only  that  brought 
by  the  caravans  from  Darfour,  which  usually  reach 
Siut,  in  Upper  Egypt,  in  the  months  of  February  and 
March,  is  sold  to  the  Viceroy,  and  this  merely  from 
necessity,  in  order  to  enable  the  vendor  to  purchase 
other  articles  with  the  net  proceeds.  In  Kordofan, 
the  very  centre  of  the  ivory  trade,  he  has  thrown  the 
trade  open,  but  at  the  same  time  very  cunningly  cal- 
culated that  it  must  eventually  come  into  his  hands, 
for,  after  the  djelabi  (merchants)  have  bought  the 
ivory  in  Kordofan,  and  defrayed  all  the  expenses  of  its 
transport  to  Cairo,  he  is  the  first  to  make  them 
an  offer  for  their  stock,  and,  indeed,  at  so  low  a 
price  that  they  can  hardly  gain  a  small  interest 
on  the  capital  laid  out;  hence  very  little  ivory 
is  brought  to  him  now-a-days  through  that  source. 
Darfour,  which  receives  ivory  from  its  tributary 
provinces,  Runga,  Kulla,  Shala,  Binga,  Gimir,  Sa- 
chana,  Yambusa,  Dama,  etc.,  as  contribution,  sells 
it  in  the  country  to  the  merchants  of  Kobbe  and  El- 
Fasher.  That  which  is  collected  at  Pergu,  Ba- 
chermi,  Kugo,  and  Niro,  is  annually  forwarded  to 
Tripoli.  The  market  price  at  Kobbe  and  El-Fash er, 
where  large  stores  are  always  kept,  is  3/.  2s.  6d. 


COMMERCE.  285 

the   cantaro  of  12    rottoli  (==  88  Ibs).     The  pur- 
chase is  likewise  effected  by  barter  against  cottons 
from  Dongola,  or  articles  of  trade  from  Germany, 
viz.,  double-edged  swords,  red  cloth,  amber,  glass- 
beads,    spikenard,    wire,    etc.      From    Darfour   the 
ivory  is  brought  to  Lobeid,  the  capital  of  Kordofan, 
and  to  Bara,  a  commercial  town  in  the  same  pro- 
vince, but  the  greater  quantity  passes  through  the 
country  to  the   shores   of  the   Red  Sea.     In  Kor- 
dofan, the  cantaro  costs  already  10/.  18s.,  including 
the  duty.     A  great  deal  is  brought  from  Shabun 
and    the    Shilluk   country  to  Kordofan,  where  the 
djelabi  of  Lobeid  and  Bara  become  the  possessors 
of  it  by  barter ;  the  Bakkara  (a  nomadic  tribe)  also 
trade  in   ivory,  and  barter  it  away  to  the   djelabi 
above    mentioned ;    to    the    Shilluks   they  give,  at 
the  most,  cottons  from  Dongola,  glass  beads,  salt, 
and    tobacco,    in    exchange   for  it.      All  the  ivory 
which   passes  through   Kordofan,   whether  directly 
or  indirectly  obtained,   is  forwarded  to   Suakim,  a 
sea-port  on  the  Red  Sea,  under  the  19°  of  northern 
latitude,  where  it  is  received  by  Englishmen  who 
have   been   quietly  awaiting   its    arrival,   and  have 
cast  their  net  over  sixteen  hundred  or  two  thou- 
sand miles  of  the  interior  of  Africa.     The  English- 
man pays  well  and  promptly,  hence  he  commands 
the  market  without  any  trouble  ;  whilst  for  Mehe- 
med  Ali  remains  only  that  which,  for  want  of  time, 
or  owing  to  some  other  circumstance,  was  not  for- 
warded  to    Suakim.      The   English   have   done    all 


286  COMMERCE. 

in  their  power,  for  a  long  time,  to  keep  secret  the 
sources,  whence  they  derive  so  large  a  quantity  of 
this  commodity ;  thus  they  remained  perfectly 
quiet  at  Suakim,  where  this  article  of  commerce 
was  brought  to  thorn,  avoiding  the  necessity  of 
exposing  themselves  to  the  unhealthy  climate  of 
the  interior  of  Africa,  or  rather  of  Kordofan.  They 
have  appointed  agents  at  Suakim,  Indians  by  birth, 
who  manage  the  business  for  two,  or  at  the  most 
three,  English  houses  established  in  India.  In  the 
year  1840,  an  Englishman  was  stationed  there 
transacting  business,  and  he  was  by  no  means 
pleased  at  finding  the  secret,  which  had  stood  the 
test  of  so  many  years,  at  last  discovered.  The  can- 
taro  costs  from  10/.  to  12/.,  and  scarcely  a  fourth 
part  of  it  pays  duty  at  the  customhouse  in  Suakim. 
Small  coasting  vessels  act  as  lighters  to  convey 
the  cargo  to  the  larger  Arabian  and  Indian  ships 
lying  off  in  readiness  to  receive  it,  which  then  sail 
for  India  directly. 

At  a  distance  of  half  a  league  from  the  shore 
of  Abyssinia,  and  two  leagues  from  Arkiko,  is  an 
island  in  the  possession  of  the  Viceroy  of  Egypt, 
named  Massauwa,  which  forms,  as  it  were,  the 
key  of  Abyssinia ;  for  all  the  ivory  brought  from 
Abyssinia,  the  Galla  country,  and  the  south-west 
and  southern  parts  of  Africa,  must  pass  through 
this  island  The  cargoes  from  Shoa  (in  southern 
Abyssinia)  and  the  neighbouring  states,  are  dis- 
charged at  Berbera  and  Zeila,  a  town  on  the  Af- 


COMMERCE.  287 

rican  coast.  From  these  few  remarks,  it  may  be 
easily  deduced  that  the  ivory  passing  from  Africa 
to  India,  and  by  the  Cape,  is  not  all  Asiatic, 
although  a  large  share  of  it  is  certainly  obtained 
in  India.  In  conclusion,  I  must  observe  that,  when 
Mehemed  Ali  throws  the  trade  open,  the  first 
buyers  in  Kordofan  will  realize  a  very  handsome 
profit ;  but  they  should  rather  pay  the  cantaro  of 
one  hundred  and  fourteen  rottoli,  with  seven  hun- 
dred and  fifty  piasters  at  Lobeid,  than  venture 
into  the  country  of  the  Shilluks,  or  to  Shabun, 
Runga,  or  Darfour,  where  they  might  certainly 
purchase  it  at  half  the  price,  but  would  incur  a 
risk  which  would  decidedly  overbalance  the  ad- 
vantage. It  would  be  no  less  hazardous  to  send 
a  native  of  Kordofan  into  these  countries  to  effect 
the  purchase,  for  they  are  such  infamous  liars,  more 
especially  the  Dongolavi,  that  they  will  rather  allow 
themselves  to  be  murdered  than  speak  one  word 
of  truth :  the  goods,  moreover,  or  the  money  with 
which  they  might  be  intrusted,  would  be  certainly 
lost,  as  they  will  leave  their  wives  and  children 
for  so  favourable  an  opportunity  of  cheating. 

The  djelabi,  would,  in  like  manner,  raise  the  price 
of  the  ivorv  con>i<leral>lv,  as  soon  as  they  had  an 
idea  that  the  demand  for  this  commodity  increased  ; 
hence  it  would  probably  be  the  most  judicious  plan 
to  come  to  an  understanding  with  a  Turkish  officer 
quartered  in  Kordofan,  and  to  ett'ect  the  ar<|iii>i- 
tion  in  his  name;  the  officers  would  willingly  lend 


288  COMMERCE. 

themselves  to  this  undertaking1,  without  any  pre- 
tensions to  a  share  in  the  profits,  if  they  were  only 
treated  to  a  few  bottles  of  wine  or  good  brandy ; 
many  honourable  men  are,  moreover,  to  be  met 
with  among  the  Turks,  to  whom  the  business  might 
fearlessly  be  intrusted.  There  would  be  no  diffi- 
culty in  entering  into  Darfour  or  in  reaching  Kobbe, 
which  is  not  the  capital,  but  merely  the  chief  com- 
mercial town  in  the  kingdom ;  nor  would  it  be 
impracticable  to  obtain  ivory  by  purchase  or  barter 
there,  or,  indeed,  at  El-Fasher,  the  capital,  where 
large  stores  are  kept;  but  no  one  could  answer 
for  his  return  as  long  as  Sultan  Mohammed 
Fadels  is  on  the  throne.  Should  the  government 
ever  devolve  upon  his  brother,  Abumedina,  Euro- 
peans would  then  have  free  ingress  and  egress  to 
the  country,  for  he  is  favourably  disposed  towards 
the  Franks,  and  would  willingly  serve  them.  For 
this  assertion  I  can  vouch,  as  I  received  the  most 
unequivocal  proofs  of  the  kindness  of  his  disposi- 
tion, at  a  time  when  my  life  was  at  stake.  The 
further  expenses  contingent  upon  this  undertaking 
would  be  as  follows  : — 


Piasters. 
To  freight  of  one  camel-load  of  three  to  three 

and  a  half  cantari  of  one  hundred  rottoli, 

from  Lobeid  to  Debba  on  the  Nile        .  60 

To  boat-hire  thence  to  New  Dongola  for  one 

boat 30 — 60 

To  freight  from   New  Dongola,  across  the 

desert  to  Wady  Chalfa        .         .         .  30 — 50 


Day's 

jour- 
ney. 


16 


4—6 


14-16 


COMMERCE.  289 


Piasters. 


ney. 
To  freight  from  Wady  Chalfa  to  the  Isle  of 


Phylae  on  the  first  cataract          .         .  GO-150 

To  freight  to  Assuan  (the  ancient  Syene),  a 

distance  of  one  and  a  half  hour's  march,  per 

camel 3-4 

To  freight  per  boat  from  Assuan  to  Cairo          400-1000 
To  freight,  per  boat,  from  Cairo  to  Atfe    .          150-400 
To  freight,  per  boat,  from  Atfe  on  the  canal 

ofMahmudie     .  30-80 


Day's 

jour- 


8-10 


20-30 
4-8 


It  must  be  mentioned  in  giving  this  estimate, 
that  the  boat-hire  would  vary  according  to  the  size 
of  the  vessel  employed,  nor  can  the  time  of  the 
journey  by  water  be  accurately  calculated,  as  it 
depends  in  a  great  measure  on  the  wind  and  the 
height  of  the  water  of  the  Nile.  As  a  general 
rule  three  months  and  a  half  may  be  reckoned  as  the 
time  required  to  reach  Alexandria  from  Lobeid  in 
travelling  with  goods. 

Tamarinds  are  an  article  to  which  the  govern- 
ment attaches  no  value,  it  consequently  permits  the 
export.  In  the  years  1837,  1838,  and  1839,  when, 
from  some  cause  unknown  to  me,  the  inflorescence 
dropped  off  and  no  pods  were  formed,  the  rottolo 
cost  on  the  spot  three-quarters  of  a  penny;  and  this 
was  at  a  time  when  the  natives  were  compelled  to 
import  tamarinds  from  Darfour,  as  the  soil  did  not 
produce  the  necessary  quantity  for  the  consumption 
of  the  country.  In  other  years,  taking  an  average 
harvest,  a  camel  load  of  three  cantari  will  sell  at  one 


290  COMMERCE. 

pound.  The  duty  on  this  article  is  trifling.  I  found 
the  flowers  taken  in  the  form  of  tea,  a  very  excellent 
remedy,  and  am  only  astonished  that  this  whole- 
some beverage  is  not  in  more  general  use  in  Europe. 
Ostrich  feathers  may  be  reckoned  among  the  most 
profitable  articles  of  commerce,  when  in  demand  in 
Europe.  The  inhabitants  of  Caccie,  a  town  on  the 
borders  of  Darfour,  and  of  Haraza,  and  many  other 
villages,  occupy  themselves  with  the  capture  of 
these  birds.  An  ostrich's  skin  yields  usually  about 
three  rottoli  of  black  feathers,  and  half  a  rottolo  of 
white  plumes.  Several  sorts  are  parted  off  for  sale, 
e.g. :  two-thirds  blacks,  one-third  whites,  at  10s  6d 
to  13s  6d  the  rottolo;  greys  at  5s  3d;  blacks  at 
2^  to  3  piasters ;  white  plumes,  not  of  the  best  quality, 
from  21  2s  to  21  12s.  The  duty  on  the  feathers  is 
one  pound  on  the  value  in  Kordofan,  Darauve,  and 
Cairo.  They  are  made  up  into  small  packages  en- 
closed in  the  skin  of  the  bird ;  but  great  attention 
is  required  in  the  packing,  for  it  is  almost  incredi- 
ble how  the  moth  attacks  these  goods,  it  is,  there- 
fore, indispensably  necessary  to  air  the  feathers  oc- 
casionally, and  to  pepper  them  in  the  packing. 

The  government  purchases  all  the  oxhides  and 
consigns  them  to  Egypt ;  it  pays  three  piasters  for 
each  hide.  There  are  no  calf-skins  in  commerce,  as 
it  is  contrary  to  the  koran  to  slaughter  calves.  Sheep 
and  goat  skins  for  water-bags  (Ckirbeh)  constitute  an 
article  of  export  trade;  these  water-bags  are  also 
manufactured  from  ox  leather,  two  of  them  generally 
form  a  camel  load.  Salt  and  tobacco  are  articles 


COMMERCE.  291 

of  export  to  tlu?  Shilluks  and  Yaenky.  and  arc 
considered  favourable  objects  for  barter. 

Sini-sim,  whence  an  oil  is  expressed,  is  exported 
to  Sennaar;  Cisme,*  which  grows  in  Kordofan,  al- 
though that  of  a  superior  quality  comes  fromTakele, 
is  i' x ported  to  Egypt  and  the  Levant.  The  price  is 
very  low ;  about  twenty  paras  (two-pence)  the  rot- 
tolo,  the  same  quantity  is,  however,  paid  in  Cairo  with 
four  piasters  (one  shilling).  It  is  used  as  a  remedy 
in  diseases  of  the  eye,  but  great  caution  is  necessary 
in  purchasing  this  article;  and  it  should  indeed  be 
always  subjected  to  close  examination,  for  there  are 
several  varieties  in  commerce,  the  fine  grained  speci- 
mens being  the  best,  and  the  coarse  grained  the 
inferior  varieties. 

Gold  is  a  very  important  article  of  export,  but 
not  very  profitable  at  present,  since  the  price  has 
risen  considerably.  I  am  told  that  the  oock'ckah 
\vas  sold  at  two  hundred  piasters  before  the  Turks 
entered  the  country;  whereas  the  same  quantity 
now  costs  three  hundred  and  seventy  or  four 
hundred  piasters;  at  this  price,  from  ten  to  fifteen 
per  cent,  may  be  realized  ;  the  oock'ckah  of  Kordo- 
fan  is  rather  heavier  than  that  of  Sennaar.  Gold  is 
met  with  in  commerce*,  in  rings  varying  in  si/e,  and 
also  in  grains;  the  latter  variety  is  enclosed  in  the 

*  Cisme,  or  shishme,  a  small  grain  of  the  size  and  shape  oft  IK- 
smallest  lentil  of  a  deep  black  shining  colour  is  imported  from 
Dart'our.  It  is  pulverized  and  rubbed  into  the  eyelids  for  com- 
plaints of  the  oy<\ — llmrkhunlt'}*  Trctrch  ///  .V ;//>/</,  p.  '?(i.'. — TK. 

u  2 


292  COMMERCE. 

quills  of  large  birds  of  prey,  and  is  generally  preferred 
to  that  in  rings,  which  the  natives  have  already 
began  to  adulterate.  The  greatest  quantity  of  this 
metal  is  brought  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Shabun, 
and  from  other  southern  provinces. 

Horned  cattle  forms  one  of  the  chief  exports,  and 
is  transported  by  the  government  to  Egypt  in  large 
droves,  of  which  more  than  the  half  perish  on  the 
road  from  want  of  proper  care.  Private  individuals 
cannot  engage  in  this  speculation,  for  it  would  be 
injudicious  to  transport  large  herds,  like  those  of  the 
government,  because  attended  with  enormous  ex- 
pense, as  it  would  require  magazines  to  be  erected 
at  each  day's  march  between  Debba  and  Cairo. 
Smaller  droves  are  forwarded  to  Sennaar  and 
Dongola  by  private  parties.  The  government  have 
even  given  up  their  large  transports  to  Cairo. 
Camels  are  also  exported  to  Cairo,  because  the 
price  of  these  animals  is  very  low  in  Kordofan. 

The  chief  trade,  before  all  the  articles  enumerated, 
is,  unfortunately,  in  slaves.  The  government  and 
the  Djelabi  emulate  each  other  in  doing  all  in  their 
power  to  gain  possession  of  these  unhappy  beings 
by  every  possible  method.  The  former,  who  are 
wholesale  dealers,  resort  to  the  most  cruel  practices 
to  seize  upon  slaves  in  large  bodies;*  whilst  the 
Djelabi  imitate  them  on  a  smaller  scale,  and  consider 
every  species  of  cunning  and  deception  fair,  where 
the  object  is  to  gain  possession  of  these  poor 
*  Vide  the  following  chapters. 


COMMERCE.  293 

wretches.     The  slaves  of  the  Djelabi,  however,  are 
always  treated  with    more  forbearance  than   those 
of  the  government,  who  are  not  very  particular  about 
losing  several  hundred  of  their  unfortunate  victims 
by   positive    ill-treatment,    or    no    less    blameable 
neglect ;  whereas  the  Djelabi  are  compelled  to  use 
them  more   leniently,   as  the   death  of  each  slave 
entails  the  loss  of  a  small  capital.     Lobeid  is  the 
centre    of   the    slave    trade,    and    market    is,    con- 
sequently, held  there  daily.     To  this  place  slaves  are 
brought,  not  only  from  the  neighbouring  countries, 
but  even   from  Kulla,  Banda,  Wuanga,  Bachermi, 
Bergu,  Pegu,  and  more  distant  states,  but  not  in 
such   large   numbers    as    from    the  borders.     It    is 
absolutely  revolting  to  hear  how  these  poor  creatures 
have  oftentimes  fallen  into  captivity,  and  it  would 
be,  indeed,  incredible  were  not  the  opportunity  for 
conviction  of  the  truth  of  so  frequent  occurrence. 
The  Djelabi  proceed  into  the  neighbouring  countries 
with  goods,  which  they  barter  away  for  slaves  who 
have  become  prisoners  of  war  or  captives  by  stealth. 
They  stand  in  connexion  with  a  species  of  kidnap- 
pers, who  think  very  little  of  stealing  the  children  of 
their  own  countrymen  for  a  trifle,  and  bringing  them 
to  a  preconcerted  spot  for  barter.     The  greater  part 
of  those  bought  up  by  the  Djelabi  are  thus  collect- 
ed by  the  marauding  Bakkara.     The  price  of  these 
unhappy  beings  varies  according  to  their  age,  health, 
and    beauty,   as    also  according  to  the  country  they 
may  call  their  fatherland.      Children  born  in  Kordo- 


294  COMMERCE. 

tan  of  captive  parents  are  generally  of  the  highest 
price,  because  already  accustomed  to  some  species  of 
work  and  more  especially  because  acquainted  with 
the  Arabic  language,  for  the  owner  of  a  married  slave, 
or  of  a  girl  who  brings  a  child  into  the  world,  is  at 
the  same  time  proprietor  of  the  latter,  and  is  per- 
mitted to  sell  it ;  masters  even  who  have  children  by 
their  female  slaves  may  dispose  of  their  offspring, 
and  examples  of  this  unnatural  proceeding  are  by  no 
means  uncommon.     In  short  whatever  is  considered 
most  cruel  and  revolting  by  all  civilized  nations,  is 
treated  with  the  utmost  levity  in  this  country,  so 
that  it  is,  indeed,  impossible  to  find  words  to  give 
full  vent  to  your  feelings  of  indignation  and  horror. 
The  human  being,  deprived  of  his  liberty,  is  here 
regarded  as  a  commodity,  or  ready  money,  passes  from 
hand  to  hand   as    in  circulation  or  in    commerce, 
and  must  think  himself  fortunate  if  he  ultimately 
chance  to  become  the  denizen  of  a  house  where 
he  may  find  rest  for  the  sole  of  his  foot,  or  may 
reckon  on  the  treatment  due  to  him  as  a  portion 
of  humanity.     No    single    house    is    to    be    found 
among  the  more  opulent   part  of  the  community 
which    is   not   provided    at    least   with    one    slave, 
either  male  or  female,  for  the  performance  of  the 
menial  offices,   for  it  is,  as  it  were,  comme  il  faut 
to  fill  the  house  with  captives,  and  to  keep  a  se- 
parate slave  appropriated  to  each   separate    office. 
The  greater  number,  however,  is  hence  exported, 
in   larger    or    smaller  convoys,   to    Egypt    and    the 
Levant. 


COMMERCE.  295 

Senna-leaves  are  found  in  many  parts  of  Kor- 
<  lot  an  in  abundance,  but  the  government  makes  no 
iiM'  of  them,  and  others  are  prevented  from  turn- 
ing  them  to  advantage  by  the  existing  monopoly. 
They  are  equal  in  quality  to  those  of  Dongola,  which 
the  administration  thence  imports  and  sells  under 
the  denomination  of  Alexandrian  or  Egyptian  Sen- 
na. Not  the  fiftieth  part  of  these  leaves,  however, 
are  natives  of  Egypt,  for  they  are  first  met  with 
at  Assuan,  and  are  erroneously  called  Egyptian 
leaves ;  their  true  native  country  is  the  province 
of  Dongola.  The  government  draws  its  entire  sup- 
ply from  that  province.  The  inhabitants  of  the 
deserts  in  those  parts  collect  them,  and  receive 
from  two  hundred  to  four  hundred  piasters,  ac- 
cording to  the  state  of  the  market,  for  the  camel- 
load  of  three  cantari,  at  forty-four  oock'ckahs,  de- 
livered in  New  Dongola.  As  the  government 
would  have  to  pay  an  addition  of  sixty  to  eighty 
piasters  011  the  freight  of  each  camel-load  they 
might  draw  from  Kordofan,  they  naturally  do  not 
obtain  any  leaves  from  that  province,  and  they  are 
left  to  rot  unused. 

These  are  then  the  chief  articles  produced  in 
the  country,  or  received  transito  from  the  border- 
ing states. 

The  importation  of  articles  for  home  consumption, 
or  for  trade  with  other  countries,  is  ellected  by  cara- 
vans, the  majority  of  which  arrive  from  Cairo,  a  far 
less  number  comes  from  Sennaar,  and  yet  less  from 
Suakim  ;  they  return  laden  with  a  few  inconsiderable 


296  COMMERCE. 

objects  from  Araby  and  India  to  Lobeid  and  Bara. 
Commerce  is  carried  on  in  a  very  dilatory  manner, 
and  the  return  of  profits  is  attended  with  a  consider- 
able loss  of  time.  In  the  month  of  Ramadan,  the 
great  Turkish  fast,  the  most  home-business  is  trans- 
acted. During  the  rainy  season  all  communication 
with  other  countries  is  cut  off,  and  it  is  a  rare 
occurrence  if  a  small  caravan  ever  arrive  during 
that  period,  for  every  merchant  is  justly  under  the 
apprehension  of  a  loss,  by  the  damage  his  goods  might 
sustain  from  the  heavy  showers ;  and  the  streams  are, 
moreover,  so  overflowing  that  frequently  many  days 
transpire  before  a  caravan  can  cross  them.  The 
immense  journey  of  three  or  four  months  duration, 
and  the  freightage  by  camel  and  boat,  render  the 
price  of  all  imported  articles  very  high  in  Kordo- 
fan.  This  outlay  would,  however,  be  but  of  slight 
importance  in  a  commercial  point  of  view,  were  it 
not  for  the  exorbitant  duty,  which  so  materially 
augments  the  price  of  the  goods ;  such  absurdity 
and  despotism  could,  in  fact,  only  exist  under  the 
government  of  Mehemed  Ali ;  even  if  his  realms 
were  to  extend  to  the  assumed  range  of  moun- 
tains of  the  moon,  the  merchandize  would  have 
to  pay  customs  in  each  province  it  might  pass 
through  before  reaching  the  place  of  its  destination. 
All  goods  on  their  arrival  at  Alexandria  are  sub- 
jected to  a  moderate  import  duty,  which,  however, 
only  franks  them  to  Cairo.  The  same  goods  shipped 
in  Old  Cairo  to  be  conveyed  up  the  Nile  must 


COMMERCE.  297 

again  pay  as  follows  :  in  Old  Cairo  on  an  average 
twelve  shillings,  in  Dongola  thirty  piasters  per 
camel-load,  in  Lobeid  three  hundred  piasters  for 
a  load  of  cottons,  whether  fine  or  of  inferior  quality, 
without  distinction.  A  camel-load  of  rice  pays 
one  hundred  and  fifty  piasters,  wine  one  hundred 
piasters,  brandy,  rosoglio,  and  rum  fifty  shillings  ad 
valorem.  The  states  of  Austria  furnish  the  greater 
quantity  of  articles  for  Kordofan,  the  majority  of 
which  are  again  exported  into  the  negro  states. 
England  yields  only  white  calicos ;  common  Bohe- 
mian linen  was  formerly  imported,  but  the  more 
reasonable  prices  of  cottons  have  quite  ousted  it 
from  the  market.  The  following  are  the  articles 
of  import  trade  to  Kordofan :  cloves,  pepper,  sugar, 
coffee,  sulphur,  rice,  soap,  chintz  and  cotton  prints, 
red  and  blue  sackcloth,  linen  from  Cairo  (named  here 
shouter  melanie),  ready-made  clothes  for  Turks, 
red  shoes,  wine,  brandy,  rosoglio,  vinegar,  oil,  green 
olives,  cheese,  amber  from  Prussia  (Nos.  3  to  6), 
opaque  coral,  and  a  few  other  inconsiderable  ob- 
jects. The  imports  from  the  Austrian  dominions 
are  the  following :  spikenard,*  shot,  dogas,f  ra- 

*  Spikenard,  from  Carinthia,  is  as  indispensable  as  bread  in  this 
country,  it  is  employed,  as  before-mentioned,  in  the  preparation  of 
telka,  which  every  woman  must  possess,  or  she  has  the  right  of 
divorce.  The  rottolo  of  one  pound  is  sold  at  four  or  five  piasters 
(one  shilling  and  twopence  to  one  shilling  and  sixpence).  This 
article  is  already  in  demand  in  the  negro  states,  and  the  consump- 
tion will  greatly  increase  in  the  space  of  a  few  years. 

t  Dogas,  manufactured  in  Carniola  and  Styria,  are  iron  plates 


298  COMMERCE. 

zors,*  double-edged  swords,f  camel-bells,  antimony^ 
arsenic,  $  iron  and  brass  wire,||  lucifers,  Bohemian 
products,  ordinary  cloths,^j  looking-glasses  in  paper 
cases,  finger-rings  set  with  stones,  glass  beads  of 
every  colour,**  —  that  of  lapis  lazuli,  is  the  most 

of  various  sizes,  furnished  with  a  ring  and  hook,  and  employed  for 
the  purpose  of  baking  bread.  They  are  indispensable  to  the 
caravans. 

*  The  razors  (the  commonest  sort  manufactured  in  the  capital 
of  Styria,)  are  not  used  for  shaving  the  beard ;  some  few  natives 
employ  them  for  the  hair  of  the  head,  but  the  greater  number  for 
shaving  the  hair  of  the  pudenda.  They  are  also  put  into  use  in 
the  circumcision  of  girls  and  in  the  mutilation  of  boys. 

f  Two-edged  swords,  of  Austrian  manufacture,  are  thirty-six 
inches  and  a  half  in  length,  and  one  inch  and  three-quarters  in 
breadth,  of  equal  diameter  throughout,  and  rounded  off  inferiorly. 
Seven  inches  and  a  quarter  in  the  curve,  and  marked :  £  with  a 
lion.  The  scabbards  and  hilts  are  made  in  the  country.  They 
are  in  most  request  in  Darfour.  The  sale  is  attended  with  con- 
siderable profit,  but  those  marked  with  a  death's-head  from  the 
workshops  of  Peter  Knell,  in  Solingen,  are  preferred. 

J  Antimony  from  various  mines  in  the  province  of  Austria, 
and  reduced  to  a  powder,  is  used  as  a  cosmetic  by  the  women  and 
girls,  who  cover  their  eyelids  with  it. 

§  Arsenic  from  different  parts  of  Austria  is  bought  in  those 
negro  states  where  gold  is  found.  It  is  transmitted  from  Kordo- 
fan  as  far  as  Bunda. 

||  Iron  wire  and  brass  wire  from  the  Tyrol  and  the  province 
of  Austria,  is  in  great  request  in  all  parts  of  Africa  for  the  deco- 
ration of  lances  and  tobacco-pipes,  and  also  for  ear-rings.  In  some 
districts  the  natives  wear  as  many  as  ten  brass  rings  in  one  ear. 

IT  Common  cloths  from  Bohemia  termed  technically  Londerin 
seconds.  The  scarlet  colours  are  preferred  in  Darfour. 

**  Glass  beads  from  Bohemia  play  a  very  prominent  part  in 
the  commerce  of  Africa.  In  some  places  the  red  are  in  demand, 
in  others  again  the  blue  or  yellow  beads,  but  where  a  particular 


coMMERci;.  299 

fashionable  in  Kordofan, — card -counters.*  The  sale 
of  glass  will  increase  considerably  in  time,  the 
\vhole  sum  expended  in  this  commodity  at  Cairo 
does  not  at  present  amount  to  more  than  twenty- 
five  pounds  at  the  utmost.  The  Levantine  articles 
are  in  chief  request,  such  as  narghile,f  brick,:]:  mas- 
trapa,j  syringes,  and  common  tumblers.  From  Ve- 
nice the  natives  obtain  glass  beads,  and  paper 
dressed  in  the  Turkish  fashion.  Austrian  manu- 
factures finding  so  ready  a  market  in  a  large  por- 
tion of  Africa  and  Asia,  and  Cairo  being  the  most 
suitable  depot,  it  is  very  astonishing  that  only  two 
Austrian  commercial  houses  should  be  established  in 
that  town  :  the  one  is  a  Bohemian  house  for  the 
sale  of  glass  beads  and  looking-glasses,  the  other 
a  Venetian  for  the  sale  of  Venetian  beads.  The 
Austrian  trade  thus  suffers  a  great  loss,  for  the 
Asiatic  and  African  merchant  is  forced  to  pur- 
chase the  imperial  produce  after  it  has  passed 
tli rough  many  hands,  and  as  each  agent  must  make 
at  least  a  small  profit,  it  is  evident  that  the  price 
of  the  articles  is  in  this  manner  considerably  raised. 

colour  does  not  happen  to  be  fashionable,  there  is  no  sale  for  them 
even  at  the  cost  price. 

*  Card  counters  are  in  request  in  most  of  the  negro  states,  they 
are  worn  by  the  women  as  an  ornament  in  the  head-dress. 

f  Narghile,  the  glass  water- reservoirs  of  the  Persian  pipes. — TR. 

J  Brick  or  ebrigh  ablution  vases,  in  the  form  of  a  coffee  biggin  ; 
those  in  general  use  in  the  East  are  made  of  copper,  but  those  of 
glass  are  also  frequently  to  be  met  with. — TR. 

$  Drinking-cups  of  glass,  shaped  like  our  tea-cups. — TK. 


300  COMMERCE. 

All  these  goods  pass  through  Cairo,  but  few  of 
them  by  way  of  Suakim  and  Sennaar.  I  was  the 
first  Austrian  subject  who  made  an  attempt  to 
traffic  with  this  country,  I  had  not  the  idea  of 
establishing  myself,  for  my  capital  was  too  in- 
considerable for  that  purpose,  and,  in  fact,  only  in- 
tended to  defray  the  expenses  of  my  journey,  but 
I  believe  that  the  experience  I  made  may  be  of 
great  service  to  others.  I  caution  every  one,  how- 
ever, who  may  intend  visiting  this  country  with 
goods  to  be  on  his  guard  against  the  white  ants, 
and  never  to  neglect  placing  his  cases  on  stones, 
for  I  have  myself  unfortunately  been  a  sufferer  by 
the  ubiquity  of  these  destructive  beasts.  During 
my  illness  I  was  incapable  of  looking  after  my  lug- 
gage, and  as  a  consequence  found,  on  my  recovery, 
all  my  cottons  in  a  perfectly  unsaleable  state,  and 
this  when  on  my  flight  at  a  time  when  I  had  moneys 
to  reclaim.  The  Termites  became  the  cause  why 
I  was  compelled  to  return  without  a  servant,  and 
to  march  during  two  days  on  foot  through  the  De- 
sert of  Krusko.  The  prices  of  goods  vary  with 
the  seasons ;  thus,  during  the  rains,  when  no  cara- 
van can  arrive  from  Egypt,  and  goods  are  conse- 
quently scarce,  the  prices  increase  by  fifty  shillings 
of  their  usual  cost. 

Coffee  is  imported  from  Abyssinia,  and  the  ordi- 
nary price  of  the  rottolo  is  three  piasters;  but  in 
the  year  1838,  it  rose  to  eighteen  piasters  (5s.  Id.). 
During  the  rainy  season  sugar  stood  at  nine  piasters 


COMMERCE.  301 

per  rottolo  (lib.  English);  rice   at  twelve  piasters 
per  oock'ckah  ;  vinegar  at  fifteen  piasters  the  bottle: 
soap  at  nine  piasters  the  rottolo ;  pepper  at  twelve 
piasters;  the  prices  of  all  goods,  however  fall  with 
the  arrival  of  fresh  supplies.     -Many  of  the  articles 
of  importation  are  bought  up  by  Djelabi,  who  trade 
with  the  interior  of  the  country,  and  barter  them 
away  for  slaves  and  other  commodity.      The  com- 
merce with  the  interior  even  requires  some  expe- 
rience, e.  g.  in  respect  to  glass-beads ;  for,  on  some 
of  the  hills,  the  white  specimens  are  in  request ;  on 
others  the  red  or  blue  beads  are  preferred,  and  the 
same  rule  applies  to  many  other  articles.     A  great 
deal  of  salt  and  tobacco  is  imported  into  the  coun- 
try of  the  Shilluks.     The  Djelabi,  in  whose  hands 
the  entire  trade  may  be  said  to  rest,  might  turn  it 
to  far  better  advantage,  if  they  had  more  talent  for 
business,  and  were  less  careless  in  its  transaction. 
Thus  they  pay  no  attention  to  the  demands  of  the 
market,  but  purchase,  year   after   year,  the   same 
articles,  sit  themselves  down  in  a  sook,  and  will  not 
quit  that  spot  in  quest  of  fresh  supplies  until  they 
have  sold  the  very  last " article,  be  it  ever  so  trifling. 
The  value  of  time  is  totally  unknown  to  them,  and  as 
for  leaving  the  remainder  nf  their  unsold  goods  with 
an  agent  on  commission,  a  son  would  not  trust  his 
own  father,  but  rather  lose  the  most  valuable  time  for 
travelling  for  two  or  three  pounds  of  soap,  and  a  few 
trumpery  glass-beads.    These  Djelabi  are  Dongolavi, 
and   have   remained    true  to  the  character  of  their 


302  COMMERCE. 

original  parents  in  Dongola.  They  will  rather  allow 
their  goods  to  spoil  than  part  with  them  below  their 
standard ;  they  sell  one  article  at  the  same  rate  as 
one  hundred  articles,  and  make  very  little  difference 
in  price  as  regards  quality ;  for  common  or  damaged 
cottons,  rusty  or  intact  wire,  are  all  sold  at  the  same 
price.  The  merchandize  which  is  not  damaged  on 
the  road  is  spoiled  in  the  market-place,  where  every- 
thing is  thrown  down  on  the  sand  in  one  large  heap, 
and  no  one  troubles  himself  whether  a  person  in  the 
crowd  walk  over  his  goods  with  dirty  feet,  or  a 
shower  drench  them  thoroughly.  He  who  first 
comes  selects  the  best  articles,  and  he  who  is  forced 
to  wait  until  the  greater  part  is  disposed  of,  takes 
whatever  he  may  happen  to  lay  his  hands  on,  pays 
the  same  price,  or  sometimes  even  more,  considering 
the  scarcity,  but  walks  away  equally  contented. 

I  have  convinced  myself  that  the  very  commonest 
goods  only  should  be  brought  to  this  market,  for 
every  man  may  form  an  opinion  of  the  manner  of 
transacting  business,  and  of  the  mode  in  which  the 
merchandize  is  treated.  I  am  certain  that  an  Euro- 
pean, accustomed  to  the  climate  at  an  early  age,  and 
acquainted  with  the  demands  of  the  country,  who 
might  establish  a  commercial-house  at  Lobeid,  and 
carry  on  his  business  with  moderate  caution,  would 
realize  a  handsome  fortune.  But,  as  I  have  before 
said,  an  European  would  meet  with  difficulties,  and 
irksome  trials  in  this  undertaking,  unknown  to  the 
natives.  The  time  for  engaging  in  a  speculation  of 


COMMERCE.  :in:j 

this  description  is  now  at  hand,  for  Mehemed  Ali  is 
about  to  throw  the  trade  open. 

The  currency  of  the  country  is  that  of  Egypt,  a 
| naster  being  equal  to  three-pence-halfpenny  English. 
The  Maria  Theresia  dollar,  column-dollars,  and  five 
franc  pieces,  of  which  there  are  three  varieties,  are 
taken  at  an  estimate  of  twenty  piasters  each,  al- 
though they  virtually  differ  in  value.  The  dollais. 
however,  when  in  request  for  purchases  in  Darfour, 
are  paid  with  twenty-two,  twenty-three,  and  even 
twenty-four  piasters ;  in  examining  them,  the  natives 
do  not  look  to  the  seven  points  in  the  clasp,  or  the 
nine  points  in  the  diadem,  nor  to  the  letters  "  S.  F." 
as  is  the  case  in  Abyssinia.  No  copper  circulates, 
and  very  few  silver  piasters,  so  that,  indeed,  in  pur- 
chasing single  piasters,  one  piaster,  agio,  is  paid  for 
nine  pieces.  In  addition  to  this  coin,  there  is  a 
small  coin  of  iron,  named  hashias,  in  circulation, 
struck  during  the  reign  of  the  sultan  of  Darfur, 
which  has  continued  in  currency  since  that  period : 
it  is  a  small  piece  of  iron,  from  two  to  three  inches 
in  length,  and  of  the  form  of  an  obtuse  bibrachial 
anchor.  150  of  these  pieces  were  formerly  considered 
equivalent  to  one  dollar ;  they  subsequently  fell  in 
value  to  250,  and  their  present  currency  is  800  to 
the  dollar,  or  one  para  each.  The  weight  is  the 
same  as  in  Egypt,  viz.  1  cantaro,  equal  to  100,  or  to 
112  rottoli,  or  to  forty-four  oockVkah's.  The  rottolo 
is=144oz.,  the  oock'ckah  equal  to  400  dir'henis. 
Forty-four  norkVkah*  constitute  about  one  hundred 


304  COMMERCE. 

weight.  The  measure  for  corn  is  the  ardeb  of 
twenty-four  mith,  two  ardebs  are  equivalent  to  three 
stajo  of  Trieste. 

Common  cottons  will  pass  from  hand  to  hand  as 
currency,  and  in  small  dealings  half  a  gourd  of 
dockn,  or  two  handfulls  may  be  substituted  for  cash. 
The  yard-measure  in  use  among  the  natives,  is  the 
distance  from  the  elbow  to  the  index-finger,  adding 
four  finger  breadths. 


MEHEMED   ALl'S  SLAVE-HUNTS.  305 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

MEHEMED    ALl's    SLAVE-HUNTS    IN    GENERAL.* 

MANY  travellers  who  have  visited  the  East,  and 
more  especially  Egypt,  justly  mention  the  humanity 
with  which  slaves  are  treated  in  these  countries,  but 
few  persons  are  probably  acquainted  with  the  in- 
human manner  in  which  these  miserable  beings  are 
ICM!  into  captivity.  The  treatment  they  meet  with 
among  the  Turks,  Arabs,  and  other  eastern  nations, 
certainly  is  an  indemnification,  although  a  very  frail 
one,  for  the  loss  of  their  liberty ;  but  unfortunately 
only  a  small  number  of  these  poor  wretches  live  to 
enjoy  even  this  slight  benefit,  for  more  than  one 

*  I  furnished  Dr.  Madden,  who  was  sent  by  the  English  "  So- 
ciety for  the  Abolishment  of  the  Slave  Trade,"  to  Egypt,  with  the 
body  of  the  matter  of  this  and  the  following  chapter  at  his  urgent 
request,  and  that  of  several  other  gentlemen  who  were  totally 
at  a  loss  for  correct  information  on  the  slave-hunts  annually 
taking  place  in  the  provinces  of  the  Pasha  of  Egypt.  I  was  the 
more  willing  to  assist  him  in  this  undertaking,  as  it  was  the  in- 
tention of  the  Society  to  make  representations  to  Mehemed  AH  on 
this  subject,  and  thus  to  endeavour  to  save  thousands  of  unfortu- 
nate victims.  This  and  the  subsequent  chapter  have  appeared  in 
the  second  volume  of  the  "  British  and  Foreign  Anti-Slavery  Re- 
porter," No.  28,  Jan.  13th,  1841. 

X 


306  MEHEMED   ALl'S   SLAVE-HUNTS. 

half  of  them  fall  victims  to  barbarous  and  cruel 
treatment  before  they  reach  the  place  of  their 
destination.  The  Viceroy  of  Egypt  institutes  an- 
nually, once  or  twice  in  the  course  of  the  year,  an 
actual  hunt  in  the  mountains  of  Nuba,  and  in  the 
bordering  countries,  and  seizes  upon  a  certain  num- 
ber of  the  negroes  by  stratagem  or  force,  in  order 
either  to  pay  the  arrears  due  to  his  troops  in  Kor- 
dofan  with  these  unfortunate  men,  instead  of  with 
ready  money,  or  to  increase  his  revenue  by  the  sale 
of  his  fellow  creatures.  I  must  leave  it  to  the 
kind  judgment  of  my  readers  whether  an  apology 
for  such  a  proceeding  is  to  be  found,  and  abstain 
myself  from  any  observation  on  the  subject,  as 
the  object  of  my  sketch  is  simply  to  give  a  correct 
description  of  the  slave-hunts  as  conducted  by 
Mehemed  Ali.  Several  European  journals  have 
stated  that  these  marauding  expeditions  were  put  an 
end  to  by  command  of  the  viceroy  on  the  occasion 
of  his  visit  to  Sennaar,  but  I  can  assure  the  reader 
that  the  order  was  "  vow  et  prceterea  nihil"  and  that 
these  robberies  take  place  as  before  even  at  the 
present  day.  No  pen  can  describe  the  acts  of 
deliberate  cruelty  perpetrated  on  these  occasions, 
revolting  atrocities  which  I  am  sure  that  Mehemed 
Ali,  were  he  acquainted  with  the  particulars, 
would  visit  on  the  heads  of  his  officers,  notwith- 
standing that  they  are  committed  in  his  interest 
and  in  his  service ;  unfortunately,  however,  the  dis- 
tance of  this  ill-fated  province  is  too  great  from  the 


MEHEMED   ALl'S   SLAVE-HUNTS.  307 

seat  of  justice  for  the  cries  of  the  afflicted  to  reach 
his  ear,  and  those  whose  duty  it  would  be  to  report 
these    inhuman   deeds,    are    too    deeply   criminated 
themselves.     The  burden  of  this  sanguinary  fate  falls 
most  heavily  upon  the  miserable  inhabitants  of  the 
Nuba  mountains.  In  the  year  1825,  four  years,  there- 
fore, after  the  conquest,  the  number  of  slaves  which 
had    been    led    away  into    captivity  was    estimated 
at  forty  thousand ;  and  in  the  year  1839  the  total 
number  amounted  at  least  to  two  hundred  thousand, 
without  reckoning  the  thousands  stolen  by  the  Bak- 
kara  and  bought  by  the  Djelabi.     As  soon  as  the 
rainy  season  is  concluded,  the  arrangements  for  the 
marauding  excursion  called  gasua*  are  made,  and  the 
necessary  number  of  camels  are  pressed  into  service. 
Of  the  multitude  of  animals  required  an  estimate 
may  be  formed,  by  considering  that  every  infantry 
soldier  is  provided  with  a  camel  to  mount,  and  that 
their  total  amount  is  nearly  doubled  by  those  em- 
ployed in  the  transport  of  arms,  ammunition,  tents, 
and  other  military  stores.     The  outfit  of  the  expe- 
dition causes  the  commanding  officer,  however,  not 
the  least  care,  for  everything  being  considered  in 
the  countries  subject  to  Egypt  as  property  of  the 
government,   he  experiences  very  little  trouble  in 
obtaining  his  supplies.     The  soldiers  steal  whatever 
they  can  find,  and  thus  in  a  few  days  the  most 

*  Gasua  originally  means  a  campaign  against  the  infidels,  and 
is  the  same  word  as  razzia  so  often  heard  in  Algiers,  merely 
differing  in  pronunciation. 

x  2 


308  MEHEMED   AEl'S   SLAVE-HUNTS. 

necessary  articles  are  furnished.     To  provisions  very 
little  attention  is   paid,  for  the  harvest  terminates 
with  the  rainy  season,  and  the  soldiers  well  know  by 
many  years  experience  where  to  find  the   supplies 
of  the  poor  negroes,  gained  absolutely  by  the  sweat 
of  their  brow,  but  vainly  hidden  from  the  rapacious 
hands  of  these  avaricious  barbarians.     The  province 
of  Dar  Hammer  is  more   especially  oppressed  for 
the  purpose  of  obtaining  camels ;  but  as  the  majo- 
rity consists   of  young  animals  which    have    never 
borne  a  weight  upon  their  backs,  and  must  there- 
fore be  taught  to  bend  to  receive  their  load  or  for 
the  convenience  of  their  rider,  each  soldier  is  pro- 
vided with   his  camel   ten  to  fourteen  days  before 
the  march,  during  which  interval  they  are  daily  ex- 
ercised in  the  morning  and  afternoon.     It  is  really 
a  very  imposing  sight  to  behold  these  hundreds  of 
camels  collected  together  on  one  spot,  where  the  ob- 
stinate animals  are  being  broken  in  to  kneel  down. 
A  well-taught  camel  always  exhibits  evident  signs 
of  displeasure  and  utters  a  piercing  cry  whenever 
it  bends  down ;  imagine  therefore  in   addition,   an 
immense  number  of  wild  unbroken  beasts  who  are 
frequently  obliged  to  be  pulled  down  on  their  knees 
by  ropes,   and  you  will   be   able  to   form  a  slight 
idea  of  the  exercising  ground.     It  frequently  hap- 
pens that  a  clumsy  rider  is  thrown  in  mounting, 
or  rather  as  the  animal  rises,  and  receives  a  severe 
injury.     But  even  on  this  occasion  we  have  proof 
the  animal  must  succumb  to  the  will  of  man, 


MEIIEMED   ALI'S    SLAVE-HUNTS.  309 

for  in  the  course  of  a  few  days  the  same  beasts  we 
had  seen  so  refractory  and  dull  before,  obey  their 
riders  at  a  mere  wink.  The  complement  of  the 
brigade  employed  in  a  slave-hunt  consists  ordinarily 
of  from  one  thousand  to  two  thousand  men  regular 
troops  of  infantry ;  from  four  hundred  to  eight  hun- 
dred Mogghrebeen  armed  with  guns  and  pistols ; 
from  three  hundred  to  one  thousand  native  troops 
on  foot,  with  shields  and  spears,  each  man  carrying 
from  three  to  five  javelins  in  a  small  leathern 
quiver  attached  to  his  shoulder  by  a  cord ;  and  from 
three  hundred  to  five  hundred  natives  mounted  on 
dromedaries,  armed  with  shield  and  spear.  The 
dromedary  riders  present  a  very  military  appear- 
ance ;  they  are  quite  naked,  with  the  exception  of 
a  small  piece  of  calico  round  their  loins,  and  ex- 
hibit an  alacrity  which  is  almost  incredible;  they 
also  exercise  for  a  certain  time  before  the  march, 
and  their  shouts  in  a  charge,  which  is  always  made 
in  a  body  and  at  the  full  speed  of  the  dromedary, 
the  whistling  of  their  lances  in  the  air,  whilst 
their  shaggy  locks  float  in  the  wind,  and  the  oblong 
shields  covering  their  entire  bodies,  give  the  riders 
a  very  fearful  appearance,  sufficient  to  overawe  the 
most  courageous  man.  I  was  always  present  at 
their  mana'uvres,  and  can  assure  my  readers,  that 
it  took  a  long  time  before  I  accustomed  inv>elf  to 
the  sight  of  these  men  without  feeling  a  secret 
horror,  although  I  lived  among  them,  and  had 
absolutely  nothing  to  fear.  At  these  moment- 


310  MEHEMED   ALl'S   SLAVE-HUNTS. 

these  people  appear  as  if  deranged,  and  it  is  very 
difficult  to  recognise  those  with  whom  you  may 
be  well  acquainted,  they  so  distort  their  features 
in  their  shout. 

As  soon  as  the  preparations  are  concluded,  the 
expedition  sets  out  upon  its  march.  Two  to  four 
field-pieces  accompany  it,  and  it  is  provided  with  a 
sufficient  supply  of  bread  for  eight  days.  The  oxen, 
sheep,  and  other  beasts  for  slaughter,  which  may  be 
required,  are  seized  on  in  Kordofan,  although  the 
province  may  have  already  paid  its  contribution. 
If  they  meet  a  herd  at  pasture  or  at  a  well,  the 
cattle  is  stolen ;  no  one  asks  whether  it  belong  to 
one  person  or  to  several,  the  contribution  is  not 
effected  in  shares ;  whoever  meets  with  the  loss  must 
bear  it  with  patience ;  no  objection,  no  remonstrance 
is  of  avail ;  no  complaint  is  ever  listened  to,  for  the 
governor  is  present  in  person. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  forces  at  the  nearest  hills  of 
the  Nubas,  the  natives  are  challenged  to  contribute 
a  stipulated  number  of  slaves.  This  demand  is  gene- 
rally acceded  to  willingly,  because  the  poor  creatures 
know  they  are  too  close  to  the  confines  of  Kordofan, 
and  that  they  would  expose  themselves  to  a  far 
more  obdurate  fate  if  they  offered  resistance.  If 
then  the  slaves  are  voluntarily  contributed,  that  hill 
is  spared.  But  about  this  time  a  scarcity  of  bread 
generally  begins  to  be  felt ;  the  troops,  therefore, 
are  not  content  with  slaves  alone  but  must  be  pro- 
vided with  grain,  nor  do  they  ever  for  one  moment 


MEIIEMED   ALl'S   SLAVE-HUNTS.  311 

consider  whether  the  harvest  has  been  successful,  or 
the  reverse  with  these  poor  people ;  but  whatever 
their  wants  maybe,  they  must  be  supplied  either  spon- 
taneously, or  by  force ;  and  on  these  occasions  the 
soldiers  show  vast  experience  in  detecting  the  hidden 
stores  of  the  unfortunate  natives,  whom  they  frequent- 
ly leave  barely  enough  bread  for  the  ensuing  day. 
The  march  is  now  continued  to  the  next  hill.  The 
skirmishers  already  consider  themselves  on  hostile 
ground,  and  they  halt  in  the  vicinity  of  that  hill 
they  intend  to  storm  on  the  next  day,  or  if  time 
admit  it,  on  that  very  day.  Before  the  actual  charge 
takes  place,  they  endeavour  to  arrange  the  affair 
amicably,  and  dispatch  a  herald  to  the  sheikh  of  the 
hill,  commanding  him  to  descend  into  camp,  and 
bring  the  number  of  slaves  ordered  by  the  command- 
ing officer  with  him.  If  he  have  already  come  to  an 
understanding  with  his  subjects,  or  feel  his  inequality 
to  the  Turkish  troops,  and  will  not  offer  resistance, 
the  stipulated  number  of  slaves  is  furnished,  and 
the  claim  is  thus  cancelled,  in  order  to  avoid  un- 
necessary bloodshed.  Then  comes  the  conscription. 
The  slaves  are  generally  volunteers,  who  sacrifice 
themselves,  or  who  to  free  their  brethren  from  a  hard 
fate  subject  themselves  to  a  yet  more  painful  lot. 
Scenes  may  at  these  times  be  witnessed  that  would 
rend  the  heart  of  a  man  of  feeling.  Who  is  ever 
willing  to  quit  his  home,  to  separate  himself  for 
ever  from  his  parents,  his  blood-relations,  and 
friends?  \\lio  leaves  the  roof  willingly  that  has 


312  MEHEMED  ALl'S   SLAVE-HUNTS. 

covered  him  from  the  day  of  his  birth,  under  which 
he  has  passed  happy  hours  in  the  circle  of  those  that 
are  dear  to  him  ?  Who  can  boldly  face  a  frightful 
future,  entailing  permanent  captivity,  promising  no- 
thing but  misery,  cruel  treatment,  and,  what  becomes 
even  desirable,  pallid  death  ?  Yet  the  necessity  is 
there — some  one  must  be  victimized,  some  one  must 
volunteer  to  sacrifice  his  liberty ;  and  for  this  privi- 
lege the  father  will  contend  with  the  son,  and  the 
brother  with  the  brother,  for  each  man  is  anxious  to 
save  the  other  at  the  expense  of  his  own  life.  Over- 
powering, indeed,  must  be  the  knowledge  that  they 
are  about  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  heartless 
Turks,  where  nothing  but  misery  and  torture  awaits 
them,  to  which  they  must  ultimately  succumb ;  but 
yet  more  heart-rending  must  be  the  feeling  of  leav- 
ing all  that  is  nearest  and  dearest  to  them,  for  ever ; 
this  must  be  wretchedness,  indeed.  In  sorrow  and 
tears  they  part — press  the  last  kiss  on  the  cheek  of 
their  relations,  and  descend  into  the  camp  of  their 
heartless  and  ruthless  tormentors ;  nay,  they  are  even 
frequently  torn  by  force  from  the  arms  of  their 
friends.  The  sheikh  generally  receives  a  present  of 
a  dress  in  remuneration  for  the  readiness  with  which 
he  has  performed  his  services.  Very  few  hills,  how- 
ever, submit  to  the  voice  of  power  thus  tacitly  on  a 
mere  challenge;  for  the  majority  of  the  villages, 
advantageously  situated  on  steep  declivities  or  inac- 
cessible heights,  and  only  to  be  scaled  with  the  ut- 
most difficulty,  defend  themselves  most  sturdily,  and 


MEIIEMED   ALl'S   SLAVE-HUNTS.  313 

fight  for  their  liberty  with  a  courage,  perseverance, 
and  resolution  equalled  by  few  instances  we  find  re- 
corded in  histoiy.  A  very  small  portion  of  the  negroes 
only  fly  before  the  approach  of  their  persecutors, 
although  they  might  save  themselves  AN  1th  all  their 
property,  by  a  retreat  into  the  neighbouring  hills, 
for  they  always  receive  timely  intimation  of  the  ad- 
vance of  the  enemy  ;  but  they  look  upon  escape  by 
flight  as  disgraceful,  and  prefer  death  in  the  struggle 
for  their  freedom.  If,  therefore,  the  sheikh  will 
not  listen  to  the  claim  made  upon  him,  the  village 
must  stand  a  storm.  The  cavalry  and  lance-bearers 
surround  the  whole  hill,  whilst  the  infantry  endea- 
vour to  scale  the  heights.  In  former  days,  the 
villages  and  places  where  the  negroes  were  con- 
gregated together,  were  cannonaded,  but  with  the 
inefficiency  of  the  Egyptian  artillery  scarcely  one 
shot  ever  took  effect ;  and  thus  the  negroes  paid  no 
attention  to  this  prelude,  but  it  appeared  on  the 
contrary  rather  to  encourage  them  to  a  more  obsti- 
nate resistance. 

The  roaring  of  the  cannon  certainly  caused  them 
at  first  more  alarm  than  the  effect,  but  they  sub- 
sequently became  accustomed  to  the  noise,  and  to- 
tally disregarded  it.  Every  access  to  the  hill  is 
barricaded  with  stones  and  other  impediments,  and 
tin-  village  supplied  with  water  for  two  days,  for 
few  hills  can  boast  of  springs,  the  water,  there- 
fore, must  he  fetched  from  the  foot  of  the  hill. 
All  the  cattle  and  other  property  is  carried  up  into 


314  MEHEMED   ALl'S   SLAVE-HUNTS. 

the  fortified  height,  in  short,  every  arrangement  is 
made  for  an  obstinate  defence.  The  men,  armed 
with  spears,  occupy  every  point  of  importance,  while 
the  women  even  do  not  remain  idle  spectators,  but 
either  participate  in  the  fight,  or  encourage  their 
husbands  by  their  lamentations  and  war-cry,  and 
hand  them  their  arms ;  in  fact,  every  one  is  in 
activity  except  the  aged  and  infirm.  The  points 
of  their  wooden  arrows  are  dipped  into  poison  which 
stands  in  an  earthen  vessel  beside  them.  It  is  the 
juice  of  a  plant,  and  appears  white  like  curdled 
milk,  but  of  what  plant  it  may  be  the  juice  I  could 
never  learn,  for  this  is  a  secret  imparted  only  to 
a  few  persons  in  the  village.  I  am  told  that  there 
are  many  hills  where  this  secret  is  totally  unknown. 
As  soon  as  the  officer  gives  the  word  of  command 
to  attack,  the  infantry  beat  to  arms  and  storm  the 
hill.  Thousands  of  spears,  large  stones,  and  im- 
mense beams  of  wood  are  instantly  hurled  at  the 
storming  party,  every  stone  is  an  ambush  to  a  wary 
negro,  who  either  throws  his  poisoned  dart  at  the 
enemy,  or,  waiting  his  opportunity,  thrusts  his  spear 
into  the  body  of  his  unsuspecting  foe  on  his  ap- 
proach. The  soldiers,  who  experience  the  greatest 
difficulty  in  scaling  the  steep  acclivities,  are  obliged 
to  sling  their  muskets  to  their  backs  to  facilitate 
their  ascent  with  their  hands,  and  frequently  fall 
victims  before  they  have  even  seen  the  enemy. 
But  nothing  deters  these  marauders  when  bent  on 
prey,  goaded  on  by  cupidity  and  the  desire  of  re- 


MEHEMED   ALl'S   SLAVE-HUNTS.  315 

venge  they  heed  no  impediment,  not  even  deatli 
itself;  over  the  dead  body  of  his  fallen  comrade 
the  successor  marches  with  impetuosity,  his  mind 
totally  engrossed  by  ideas  of  plunder  and  murder ; 
and  thus  the  village  is  at  last  captured  in  spite  of 
the  most  resolute  defence.  But  now,  indeed,  is 
vengeance  terrific  :  neither  aged  men  nor  the  in- 
firm, neither  helpless  women  and  children,  nor,  in- 
deed, the  babe  unborn  are  spared ;  every  hut  is 
plundered,  the  property  of  the  unfortunate  be- 
sieged either  pillaged  or  destroyed,  and  whoso- 
ever falls  into  the  hands  of  the  destroyer  with 
kis  life  is  carried  down  into  the  camp  as  cap- 
tive. When  the  negroes  see  that  resistance  is 
no  longer  of  avail,  they  frequently  prefer  suicide, 
unless  prevented,  to  slavery ;  and  thus  it  often 
occurs  that  a  father  rips  up  the  abdomen  of  his 
wife,  then  of  his  children,  and  lastly  murders  him- 
self, to  avoid  falling  alive  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy.  Others  endeavour  to  escape  captivity  by 
secreting  themselves  in  caverns,  where  they  pass 
many  days  without  food ;  they  there  lie  upon  their 
backs,  and  will  remain  in  this  position  sometimes 
for  an  entire  week.  I  have  been  informed  that  a 
man  can  very  well  bear  the  whole  of  the  eight  <!:ivx 
without  nourish ment,  if  he  have  only  surmounted 
the  difficulty  of  the  first  three  days.  But  even  in 
this  covert  they  are  not  safe,  as  the  monsters  either 
hunt  them  up  or  destroy  them  in  their  places  of 
refuge  ;  for  the  soldiers  light  fires  with  pitch,  sal- 


316  MEHEMED  ALl'S   SLAVE-HUNTS. 

phur,  and  other  combustibles  before  the  entrance, 
and  endeavour  to  drive  the  irritating  fumes  into 
the  caves,  when  the  poor  wretches  are  forced  to 
creep  out  and  deliver  themselves  to  their  enemies, 
or  perish  by  suffocation  in  the  smoke.  After  every 
means  have  been  resorted  to  for  gaining  possession 
of  the  living,  the  unfortunate  beings  are  escorted 
to  the  camp,  the  houses  are  plundered,  and  the  cat- 
tle is  driven  away,  and  a  detachment  of  several  hun- 
dred soldiers  then  examines  the  hill  in  every  direc- 
tion to  pillage  the  hidden  grain,  in  order  that  the 
survivors  who  may  have  been  fortunate  enough  to 
save  their  lives  by  flight,  or  by  secreting  themselves 
in  inaccessible  caverns,  may  not  find  anything  on 
their  return  wherewith  to  maintain  their  dearly 
purchased  existence. 

The  experience  of  many  years  has  made  the 
troops  employed  in  these  expeditions  gradually 
wiser;  in  former  times  one-third  of  the  number 
at  least,  and  on  some  occasions  even  one  half  of 
them  lost  their  lives  in  these  attacks,  at  present 
they  confine  themselves  to  a  simple  blockade,  and 
storm  merely  in  extreme  cases.  Very  few  hills 
are,  as  I  before  said,  provided  with  springs,  when, 
therefore,  all  communication  is  impeded,  the  poor 
negroes  are  forced  to  surrender,  but  not  before 
they  have  suffered  the  most  horrible  tortures ; 
for  they  never  provide  themselves  with  a  sup- 
ply of  water  for  longer  than  two  days,  partly  from 
want  of  vessels  or  reservoirs,  partly  because  they 


MEHEMED   ALl'S   SLAVE-HUNTS.  317 

do  not  expect  to  be  besieged  for  a  longer  period, 
thus  the  scarcity  of  water  is  generally  felt  on  the 
third  day  of  the  blockade.  Nothing  can  be  more 
frightful  than  the  position  of  these  unhappy  men 
at  this  time.  The  fear  of  falling  into  the  hands 
of  the  Turks  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  certainty 
of  death  from  thirst  on  the  other,  drives  the  poor 
wretches  to  the  very  verge  of  despair.  This  scarcity 
is  immediately  known  in  camp,  for  the  screams  of 
the  children  and  the  groans  of  the  cattle  betray 
the  melancholy  position  of  the  village.  The  cattle 
runs  about  as  if  wild,  and  on  the  third  day  becomes 
so  dangerous  that  the  negroes  are  obliged  to  slay 
it.  The  human  being  struggles  in  despair  with 
death,  to  find  a  mode  of  escape,  but,  alas  !  in  vain  : 
the  blood-thirsty  huntsmen  have  surrounded  their 
game  too  securely,  thus  not  one  soul  can  escape 
with  his  life.  Many  of  the  unhappy  victims  prefer 
death  for  themselves  and  their  families  to  captivity, 
whilst  others  endeavour  to  conceal  themselves  in 
caverns,  and  thus  to  spare  themselves  the  awful 
miseries  of  slavery.  The  remainder  call  a  meet- 
ing to  concert  upon  the  surrender  of  their  village 
and  their  children.  The  calamity  makes  not  the 
slightest  impression  upon  their  persecutors,  who  re- 
main quiet  be 'holders  of  all  these  horrors,  impa- 
tiently awaiting  the  moment  when  they  shall  receive 
their  victims.  The  scarcity  of  water  does  not  ap- 
ply to  all  the  hills  without  exception,  for  several  of 
them  are  well  supplied  with  water,  and  are  not 


318  MEHEMED   ALl'S   SLAVE-HUNTS. 

so  easily  to  be  taken.  In  such  cases  force  becomes 
necessary,  but  it  frequently  happens  that  populous 
villages  or  such  as  are  favoured  by  the  ground,  are 
able  to  repel  the  storming  party  several  times  with 
considerable  carnage,  so  that  the  expedition  frequently 
will  not  venture  on  an  attack  for  fear  of  heavy  losses, 
as  was  the  case  with  Mount  "  Deyer,"  *  situated  at 
a  distance  of  two  day's  march  from  Lobeid,  which 
was  thrice  attacked  without  success,  and  where 
the  troops  suffered  severely.  But  even  in  such 
cases  they  know  how  to  ensure  the  certain  fall  of 
their  victims  by  demoniacal  deceit.  Thus,  after 
Kurshid  Pasha,  governor  of  the  Belled-Soodan,  had 
made  several  fruitless  attempts  at  storming  a  hill  in 
the  country  of  the  Shilluks,  in  which  he  had  been, 
moreover,  always  repulsed  with  considerable  car- 
nage, and  at  last  had  made  up  his  mind  that  every 
further  attack  would  be  in  vain,  and  his  loss  too 
frightful,  he  thought  of  the  following  ruse,  which 
would  never  have  succeeded  with  any  other  people 
than  this  good-natured  tribe ;  in  this  case,  how- 
ever, it  proved  successful.  He  encamped  himself, 
namely,  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  without  surrounding 
it,  where  he  quietly  remained  for  several  days ;  he 
then  despatched  one  of  his  soldiers  into  the  village 
with  the  request  to  the  inhabitants  to  send  down 
four  hundred  dishes  of  food  to  his  people  in  camp, 
and  assured  them  at  the  same  time  that  they  need 
be  under  no  further  apprehension  about  him, 

*  Dire.— TB. 


MEIIEMED   ALI'S   SLAVE-HUNTS.  319 

a^  lie  would  not  make  another  attack  on  their 
village,  but  would  march  his  troops  off  imme- 
diately on  receipt  of  the  provisions.  The  good- 
natured  negroes,  suspecting  no  harm,  forgot  all 
animosity  towards  their  enemy  in  consideration  of 
their  pretended  unfortunate  position,  and  instantly 
shewed  their  readiness  to  accede  to  the  request, 
by  furnishing  the  provisions  required.  The  articles 
of  food  were  duly  prepared,  and  four  hundred  grown 
persons  carried  the  number  of  dishes  demanded 
clown  into  the  camp  of  their  persecutors,  How 
were  they,  however,  now  deceived !  for  no  sooner 
had  they  placed  the  dishes  on  the  ground  at  the 
order  of  Kursh id-Pasha,  than  they  were,  on  a  signal 
he  gave,  surrounded  on  all  sides  and  made  pri- 
soners, without  the  necessity  of  pulling  a  trigger,  or 
without  the  possibility  of  their  offering  resistance. 

The  inhabitants  of  those  hills  which  may  have 
been  forced  into  a  surrender  by  cutting  off  their 
supplies,  and  more  especially  by  depriving  them 
of  water,  are  compelled  to  deliver  themselves 
up  as  captives  in  the  camp,  as  soon  as  they  have 
capitulated ;  but  the  condition  of  those  who  have 
defended  themselves,  or  stood  the  blockade  for 
some  time,  is  far  more  dreadful.  Worn  out  with 
the  fatigues  of  the  conflict,  or  totally  exhausted  by 
the  want  of  water,  they  can  scarcely  stand,  and  are 
literally  speaking,  dragged  down  into  cam]),  where 
they  are  certainly  regaled  with  the  absolute  neces- 
of  life,  but  are  allowed  only  a  short  time  to 


320  MEHEMED   ALl'S    SLAVE-HUNTS. 

recover  themselves.  The  Turks  have,  indeed,  suffi- 
cient compassion  to  send  the  necessary  quantity  of 
water  up  to  those  poor  wretches  on  the  hill,  who 
are  too  weak  even  to  be  brought  down ;  they  are 
obliged  to  pour  water  over  their  heads  first,  and 
to  allow  them  to  drink  only  in  small  quantities, 
and  gradually,  for  indulgence  would  prove  fatal  to 
them. 

The  greatest  sufferings  are  not  yet  surmounted, 
and  many  of  these  unhappy  men  would  prefer  death 
inflicted  by  their  own  hands  to  the  dreadful  fate  which 
awaits  them,  if  they  were  acquainted  with  their  lot 
beforehand.  They  now  have  to  suffer  every  descrip- 
tion of  ill-treatment  from  their  tormentors ;  blows 
with  the  butt-end  of  the  musket,  bayonet  wounds, 
and  stripes  with  the  whip,  are  the  ordinary  modes 
of  encouragement  adopted  to  arouse  the  energies 
of  those  miserable  beings,  who,  exhausted  by  physi- 
cal or  moral  suffering,  may  happen  to  sink.  Pity 
is  unheard  of  in  these  transports ;  and  as  per- 
sonal interest  is  not  engaged  for  the  preservation  of 
one  of  those  unhappy  wretches,  or  to  prove  it  an 
advantage,  the  only  consideration  is  to  render  their 
escape  impossible.  The  Djelabi  treat  their  slaves 
with  more  humanity,  because  their  personal  interests 
are  implicated,  for  each  slave  may  be  considered  a 
capital  to  them,  and  they,  consequently,  do  all  in  their 
power  to  preserve  life,  at  least,  and  thus  to  avert  a 
loss.  The  Turks,  on  the  other  hand,  who  have  no 
considerations  of  this  description  to  attend  to,  treat 


MF.HKMKD  ALI'S  SLAVE-HUNT-  321 

their  prisoners  far  woise  than  they  would  beasts. 
As  soon  as  they  have  collected  from  three  to  six 
hundred,  or  perhaps  a  thousand  slaves,  the  convoy 
is  sent  with  an  escort  of  native  troops,  and  of  about 
fifty  men,  regulars,  under  the  command  of  an  officer 
to  Lobeid. 

To  prevent  flight,  a  Sheba  is  hung  round  the 
neck  of  the  full-grown  slaves ;  it  consists  of  a 
young  tree  about  six  or  eight  feet  in  length,  and 
two  inches  in  thickness,  forming  a  fork  in  front  ; 
this  is  bound  round  the  neck  of  the  victim  so  that 
the  stem  of  the  tree  presents  anteriorly,  the  fork 
is  closed  at  the  back  of  the  neck  by  a  cross-bar,  and 
faMencd  in  situ  by  straps  cut  from  a  raw  hide;  thus 
the  slave,  in  order  to  be  able  to  wralk,  is  forced  to 
take  the  tree  in  his  hands,  and  carry  it  before  him. 
No  individual  could,  however,  bear  this  position 
for  any  length  of  time ;  to  relieve  each  other,  there- 
fore, the  man  in  front  takes  the  log  of  his  successor 
on  his  shoulder,  and  this  measure  is  repeated  in 
succession.  It  amounts  to  an  impossibility  to  with- 
draw the  head,  but  the  whole  neck  is  always  excori- 
ated, an  injury  leading  often  to  inflammatory  ac- 
tion, which  occasionally  terminates  in  death.  Bo\s 
from  ten  to  fifteen  years  of  age,  who  could  not  carry 
the  sheba,  are  hand-culled  together  by  wooden  ma- 
nacles. The  instruments  are  applied  to  the  right 
hand  of  the  one  and  the  left  of  the  other,  above  the 
wri>t<.  when*  they  are  fastened  by  straps;  they  are 
somewhat  excavated  to  admit  the  hand,  but  gene- 

Y 


322  MEHEMED   ALl's   SLAVE -HUNTS. 

rally  fit  so  closely  that  the  skin  is  excoriated,  and 
malignant  ulcers  are  the  result ;  but  even  if  the 
hand  were  to  mortify,  or  drop  off,  no  alleviation  of 
the  sufferings  of  the  individual  would  ensue,  for  the 
fetters  are  not  taken  off  before  the  -arrival  of  the 
convoy  at  Lobeid.  Some  of  the  boys  are  fastened 
together  in  couples  by  straps  applied  round  the 
upper  part  of  their  arms.  It  may,  therefore,  easily 
be  imagined  how  difficult  progression  is  rendered  to 
these  poor  sufferers,  and  what  tortures  they  have  to 
endure  on  this  march.  In  addition  to  these  trials, 
they  have  to  bear  with  most  miserable  fare,  and 
further  ill-treatment,  should  their  strength  fail  them, 
or  should  they  become  too  weak  to  proceed.  Chil- 
dren under  the  age  before-mentioned,  women,  and 
old  men,  are  marched  singly,  and  unfettered.  Many 
a  mother  carries  her  infant,  born  but  a  few  days 
before,  at  her  breast,  and  must  even  take  two  or 
three  of  her  children,  who  may  be  too  young  or 
too  weak  to  walk  alone,  in  her  arms,  or  on  her 
back.  Old  and  infirm  men  who  can  scarcely  creep 
along  with  the  aid  of  a  stick,  the  sick,  and  the 
wounded,  are  taken  in  the  middle,  between  their 
daughters,  wives,  or  relations,  and  thus  slowly  drag- 
ged onwards,  or  even  carried  by  turns.  If  one  of 
these  unfortunate  beings  happen  to  remain  behind 
the  ranks,  he  is  immediately  stimulated  to  increased 
activity  by  blows  with  the  butt-end  of  the  musket, 
or  flogged  on  with  the  whip.  Should  even  this 
encouragement  fail,  and  when  several  of  these  poor 


MEHEMED   ALl'S   SLAVE-HUNTS.  323 

wretches  cannot  possibly  proceed  any  furthor,  ten 
or  twenty  of  them  are  bound  by  the  hand  with 
a  rope,  the  one  end  of  which  is  attached  to  the 
saddle-bow  of  a  camel,  and  thus  those  who  are  half 
dead  are  dragged  onwards;  even  if  one  of  them 
happen  to  sink  no  mercy  is  shown,  but  the  fallen 
man  is  trailed  along  the  ground  and  not  liberated, 
even  should  lie  breathe  his  last,  before  his  arrival  at 
the  stated  place  of  rest.  Before  the  caravan  halts 
there  is  no  idea  of  offering  any  refreshment  whatever 
in  the  way  of  food  to  the  exhausted  ;  the  hearties* 
Turk  feels  no  compassion,  knows  no  pity ;  even  if 
a  drop  of  water  might  revive  a  weary  wretch,  none 
is  given  him — no,  he  may  perish  from  want. 

When  the  caravan  reaches  the  place  of  rest,  those 
who  have  been  dragged  along  are  liberated;  whilst 
the  dead  and  the  exhausted  are  thrown  without 
mercy  on  the  sand,  and  the  latter  left  to  their  fate. 
No  prayers,  no  entreaties  can  soften  the  obdurate 
hearts  of  their  torturers.  They  do  not  even  allow  a 
wife  to  take  leave  of  her  husband,  or  a  child  to 
press  the  parting  kiss  upon  the  lips  of  its  expiring 
parent.  No  one  is  permitted  to  approach  these 
unfortunate  wretches, — they  are  given  over  to  their 
fate.  Not  even  as  much  as  a  piece  of  bread,  or  a 
drop  of  water  is  left  behind  for  them.  The  dis- 
carded wretch  is  given  up  to  his  doom  to  linger  out 
his  existence,  add  to  which  the  misery  of  the  full 
consciousness  of  certain  death.  In  six  or  fourteen 
days,  the  transport  reaches  Lobeid,  and  it  is  no  won- 


324  MEHEMED   ALl'S   SLAVE -HUNTS. 

der,  considering  the  inhuman  treatment  the  captives 
have  had  to  endure,  that  on  its  arrival  more  than 
one-tenth  of  the  number  is  found  wanting.  No  no- 
tice, however,  is  taken  of  this  frightful  loss  on  the 
road,  for  it  is  government  property,  and  personal 
interest  is  not  concerned. 

In  Lobeid  the  slaves  remain  together  until  all 
the  transports  arrive,  and  then  the  distribution 
takes  place.  The  men  best  adapted  for  the  pur- 
pose are  drafted  into  the  regiments  as  recruits, 
and  the  remainder  of  the  full-grown  slaves  are 
delivered  over  to  the  troops,  quartered  in  Kordofan, 
in  liquidation  of  their  arrears  of  pay,  at  an  estimate 
of  three  hundred  piasters  a  head;  younger  slaves 
are  valued  at  various  prices.  The  soldiers  are  com- 
pelled to  re-sell  them  to  the  merchants  for  ready 
money,  or  for  money's  worth  ;  sometimes  the  slave 
dies  of  over-fatigue,  or  excess  of  torture,  or  does 
not  realize  the  full  sum  on  account  of  his  age  or  in- 
firmities, and  then  the  soldier  suffers  the  loss,  who, 
moreover,  generally  receives  but  half  his  pay,  al- 
though he  has  had  to  wait  for  several  months,  or 
more  frequently  a  whole  twelvemonth  for  this  por- 
tion of  his  arrears. 

It  is  not  an  uncommon  occurrence  for  a  son 
to  find  his  own  father,  or  a  father  his  son,  as- 
signed to  him,  or  for  a  brother  to  become  the 
possessor  of  his  brother  ;  but  he  is  forced  in  de- 
fiance of  the  feelings  of  nature  to  sell  him,  in 
orcjer  to  share  the  proceeds  with  a  comrade  who 


MEHEMED   ALl'S   SLAVE -HUNTS.  325 

is  co-proprietor  of  the  slave  with  him.  Officers 
and  privates  are  obliged  to  receive  these  slaves 
at  a  certain  valuation  in  lieu  of  money,  and  gene- 
rally sell  them  at  a  loss  to  the  Djelabi.  The  re- 
mainder is  disposed  of  by  public  auction,  in  the 
market-place,  to  the  highest  bidder. 


326  DESCRIPTION   OF  A   SLAVE -HUNT. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

DESCBIPTION    OF    A    SLAVE -HUNT    IN    THE    YEARS    1838    AND     1839. 

TOWARDS  the  end  of  the  year  1838  the  Viceroy 
commanded  the  province  of  Kordofan  to  contribute 
five  thousand  slaves.  The  corps  under  orders  for 
this  purpose,  consisting  of  two  thousand  four  hun- 
dred infantry,  seven  hundred  and  fifty  Mogghrebeen 
(Bedouin  horsemen),  two  hundred  men  irregular 
cavalry,  three  hundred  dromedary  riders,  and  twelve 
hundred  natives  armed  with  spear  and  shield,  and 
attended  by  three  guns,  set  out  upon  the  march 
towards  the  close  of  the  month  of  November  1838. 
On  this  occasion  every  two  men  of  infantry  were 
furnished  with  one  camel,  as  they  could  not  collect 
the  complement  very  soon,  and  an  immense  number 
was,  moreover,  required  for  the  transport  of  the 
baggage,  water,  tents,  etc.,  for  the  troops.  Provi- 
sions and  forage  for  the  cattle,  both  for  service  and 
for  slaughter,  were  only  added  to  the  transport  suf- 
ficient for  a  few  days,  for  they  hoped  to  be  able  to 
obtain  the  necessary  supply  in  a  short  time  by 
plunder  and  pillage.  A  hill,  one  of  the  nearest  on 
the  borders  of  the  free  Nuba,  which  had  already 


IN  THE  YEARS   1838  AND  1839.  327 

suffered  by  the   troops  of  Mehemed   Ali,   and  by 
the  marauding   "Bakkara,   and  was  in   consequence 
greatly  depopulated,  was  the  first  challenged  to  sur- 
render.    The  sheikh  instantly  came  into  camp  and 
delivered  himself  with  all  his  subjects,  consisting  of 
one  hundred  and  ninety-six  souls,  into  the  hands  of 
the  Turks ;  he  received  his  liberty  and  a  present  of 
a  dress,  but  the  sheba  was  put  on  the  young  men, 
and    the    whole    number   forwarded    on    the    next 
day  to  Lobeid.     This  sheikh  himself  told  me  that 
when  the  Turks  first  entered  his  village  eighteen 
years  before,  the  population  consisted  of  three  thou- 
sand souls,  but  the   annual  contribution  of  slaves, 
augmented  by  the  insatiable  Turks  to  ten  times  the 
number,  had    reduced    them  to   one   hundred    and 
ninety-six  souls.     The  prisoners  of  this  hill  were 
treated  with  some  humanity,  and  not  one  instance 
of  suicide  took  place   among  them,   for  they  had 
seen  the  futility  of  resistance,  and  voluntarily  sur- 
rendered to  their  dismal  fate.     The  troops,  however, 
were  now  in  want  of  bread,  and  as  they  found  but  a 
very  slight  supply  of  dockn  among  this  impoverished 
people,  they  were    necessitated   to    advance.     The 
next  hill  was  attacked,  but  how  were  the  soldiers 
disappointed  in  their  expectations  when  they  found 
the    place    evacuated !     The    inhabitants,    apprized 
of  the   approach    of    the    corps,    had    fled,    taking 
all   their   property  and   cattle  away   with   them,   and 
had    left   nothing  but  the  empty  huts,  which  were 
instantly  fired   and  burnt  to  the  ground.     And  now 


328  DESCRIPTION    OF   A   SLAVE -HUNT 

the  march  was  continued  to  the  third  hill.  The 
inhabitants  of  this  village  had  formed  the  firm  reso- 
lution of  defending  their  freedom  to  the  uttermost ; 
and,  determined  to  suffer  death  rather  than  the 
horror  of  Turkish  captivity,  had  prepared  for  a  most 
obstinate  resistance.  The  hill  was  charged,  but 
the  troops  were  several  times  repulsed ;  the  attacks, 
however,  were  renewed,  and  the  village  was  ultimately 
taken  by  storm.  The  scene  which  now  presented 
itself  to  view  was  frightful  in  the  extreme.  Of  five 
hundred  souls  who  had  been  the  peaceful  inhabitants 
of  the  village,  one  hundred  and  eighty-eight  only 
were  found  living.  Every  hut  was  filled  wTith  the 
bodies  of  the  aged  and  the  young  indiscriminately, 
for  those  who  had  not  fallen  by  the  sword  in  battle, 
had  put  themselves  to  death  to  elude  the  dreadful  fate 
of  captivity.  The  prisoners  were  led  away  ;  and  the 
place  was  given  up  to  the  soldiery  for  plunder,  but 
the  dead  were  left  disinterred.  What  a  fearful  scene 
for  the  few  who  were  fortunate  enough  to  escape 
the  carnage  by  flight !  Nothing  but  the  dead 
bodies  of  their  friends  and  the  ashes  of  their  homes 
met  their  eye  on  th  eir  return ! 

In  order  to  recruit  the  troops,  a  camp  was  now 
formed,  and  a  detachment  sent  out  in  search  of 
forage.  An  encampment  of  this  description,  which 
is  always  erected  on  the  plains,  consists  of  an  irregu- 
lar quadrangle,  surrounded  by  a  hedge  of  thorns  or 
bushes,  or  sometimes  even  by  a  stone  fence,  in  which 
the  regular  infantry,  the  guns,  and  baggage  are  en- 


IN  THE  YEARS    1838   AND   1839.  329 

,  whilst  the  cavalry  and  spear-bearers  encamp 
without  the  enclosure.  Of  setting  outposts,  or  of  other 
judicious  military  movements  they  have  no  idea,  but 
confine  themselves  merely  to  preparations  for  defence 
in  case  of  a  surprise,  as  the  negroes  frequently  ven- 
ture' by  night  on  an  attack,  which  might  prove  very 
destructive  to  the  troops,  considering  their  careless- 
ness.   Generally  speaking  a  camp  is  soon  broken  up, 
and  this  was  the  case  on  the  present  occasion ;  for 
no  sooner  had  the  soldiers  recovered  somewhat  from 
their  fatigues,  and  furnished  a  scanty  supply  of  pro- 
visions, than  the  tents  were  struck,  and  the  march 
commanded  for  the  next  hill  destined  for  attack. 
The  cavalry  was  sent  about  two  miles  in  advance  to 
surround  the  hill.    On  its  arrival,  however,  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  village,  it  was  suddenly  surprised  by 
the  inhabitants,  who  had  received  intelligence  of  the 
movements,  of  the  troops  and  was  attacked  with  vi- 
gour.    The  negroes  in  a  very  large  body,  and  only 
armed  with  spears  and  shields,  broke  with  impetu- 
osity from  their  covert,  and  with  a  fearful  war-cry,  aug- 
mented by  the  shouts  of  the  women  accompanying 
them,  (resembling  the  Lu,  Iu9  lul  of  the  Arab  women,) 
tli re w  themselves  headlong  upon  the  enemy.     Sur- 
prised by  this  sudden  movement,  yet  too  discreet  to 
sustain  the  attack  of  the  negroes,  the  cavalry  turned 
and  took  to  flight.      One  of  the  Bedouin  chiefs,  who 
was  mounted  on  a  restive  lioixr.  and  could  not  keep 
up   with    his   troop,    wa-    surrounded;    he    sei/ed    his 
gun    to    discharge   it    at    the    first     man    who    might 


330  DESCRIPTION   OF   A   SLAVE -HUNT 

attack  him,  but  it  refused  fire,  and  before  he  could 
make  use  of  his  pistols  and  sabre,  or  put  himself  in 
any  other  way  on  his  defence,  he  was  torn  off  his 
horse  and  instantly  slain.  None  of  his  corps  made  the 
slightest  attempt  to  save  their  officer,  for  each  man 
was  intent  on  his  own  escape.     This  flight  must  not 
be  ascribed  to  cowardice  on  the  part  of  the  Bedouins ; 
for  they  generally  fight  well,  provided  their  interest  is 
not  at  stake.     By  fraud,  or  promises  destined  never 
to  be   fulfilled,  these  nomadic  people    are  enticed 
away  from  their  native  plains  and  employed  in  these 
frightful  slave-hunts.      With  the  exception  of  very 
trifling  pay,  they  can  expect  nothing  beyond  what 
they  may  be  able  to  gain  themselves  by  robbery  and 
plunder ;  if  by  any  chance,   and  without   fault   on 
their  part,  they  happen'  to  lose  a  horse, — which  is 
their  personal  property — even  on  actual  service,  they 
cannot  reckon  upon  any  indemnification  from  the 
government ;  for  should  they  not  have  the  means  of 
purchasing  a  fresh  animal,  they  are  indeed  mounted 
by  the  government,   but  the  price  of  the  horse  is 
deducted  from  their  pay,  which  is  always  on  the  very 
lowest  scale,  and  thus  they  have  to  serve  for  several 
years  gratuitously.     Their  sheikh,  or  commanding 
officer,  told  me  this  himself,  and  assured   me  that' 
his    Bedouins,  -  (erroneously   termed   Mogghrebeen) 
would  act  very  unwisely  in  risking  their  horses  on 
an  attack  whence  nothing  was  to  be  gained ;    for 
the  negroes,  in  encountering  cavalry,  are  well  aware 
of  the  advantage  of  injuring  the  horse  rather  than 


IN  THE  YEARS   1838  AND   1839.  331 

the  rider,  as  the  latter  falls  a  certain  victim  to  them 
when  the  animal  is  slain.  After  the  cavalry  had 
again  formed  in  the  rear  of  the  infantry,  the  officer 
in  command  ordered  a  charge  by  the  foot  for  the 
following  day.  If  the  attack  had  succeeded,  the 
carnage  would,  indeed,  have  been  terrific,  for  the 
troops  were  all  eager  to  revenge  the  death  of  the 
Bedouin  sheikh.  But  it  was  differently  recorded  in 
the  book  of  fate.  With  the  first  dawn  of  morning 
the  infantry  were  put  in  marching  order  for  the 
ensuing  storm,  and  the  cavalry  placed  in  reserve. 
The  advance  was  now  made,  on  the  word  of  com- 
mand, with  the  utmost  caution,  a  few  cannon  balls 
having  been  first  sent  into  the  village  without  effect. 
All  remained  perfectly  quiet,  until  the  advance- 
guard  of  the  storming  party  had  reached  the  foot  of 
the  hill  and  prepared  for  action,  when  the  negroes 
suddenly  broke  forth  endeavouring  to  surround  the 
enemy.  The  position  of  the  Egyptians  became  now 
very  critical,  for  bent  upon  the  capture  of  this  hill, 
they  had  overlooked  two  other  villages  flanking  the 
one  attacked,  which  were  densely  populated  by  ne- 
groes, who  joined  the  besieged,  and  threw  themselves 
with  the  whole  strength  of  their  united  forces  upon 
the  troops.  Not  one  man  would  have  escaped,  for 
enclosed  in  a  narrow  valley,  and  Mirrounded  by  hills, 
the  infantry  could  scarcely  move,  and  no  assistance 
could  l>e  expected  from  the  cavalry.  The  win  tie 
brigade,  in  fact,  would  have  been  lost,  a>  the 

gathered    like  a  black  cloud    upon  the   hilk     w 


332  DESCRIPTION    OF   A   SLAVE -HUNT 

and  poured  down  by  hundreds  upon  the  enemy  ;  no 
troops  could  withstand  their  attack,  for  they  rushed 
into  battle  with  unparalleled  frenzy,  regardless  of  shot 
or  bayonet,  and  used  their  spears  with  great  dexte- 
rity. The  commander  of  the  Egyptian  forces,  how- 
ever, betimes  recognized  the  danger  threatening  his 
troops,  and  ordered  a  retreat ;  when  the  whole  body 
fled  in  wild  confusion  from  the  vale  of  death.  The 
cavalry  was  not  behindhand  in  this  movement,  and 
thus  the  brigade  never  halted  until  it  was  fairly 
out  of  the  dominions  of  the  foe.  Of  a  renewal  of 
the  attack  there  was  now  no  idea  ;  for  nothing  in 
the  world  can  induce  these  heroes  to  repeat  an 
advance  where  they  have  once  been  beaten.  They 
know  further  that  the  negroes  become  almost  in- 
vincible with  success  ;  while  the  musket  and  bayonet 
afford  but  slight  advantage  over  the  weapons  of  the 
blacks,  for  the  wild  inhabitants  of  the  hills  rush 
blindly  to  the  charge,  heedless  of  every  wound.  I 
myself  had  opportunities  of  convincing  myself  of  the 
intrepidity  of  these  men. 

After  the  troops  had  again  collected,  order  was 
once  more  restored,  and  the  march  was  continued ; 
in  the  course  of  a  few  days  several  hills  were  taken, 
and  the  prisoners  duly  forwarded  to  Lobeid.  The  ex- 
pedition now  moved  in  a  southern  direction  from  the 
Xuba  mountains,  towards  a  country  inhabited  by  a 
different  race  of  men.  The  tribe  now  attacked  dif- 
fers from  the  natives  of  Xuba,  both  in  language  and 
manners ;  they  are  easily  recognized  by  the  number 


IN  THE   YEARS   1838    AND    1839.  333 

of  brass  ear-rings,  which  they  do  not  pass  through  the 
appendix  of  the  ear,  but  wear  in  the  upper  part  of 
the  cartilage,  by  which  means  the  whole  ear  is  dis- 
torted, so  that  the  superior  portion  covers  the  ineatus. 
Almost  all  the  men  wear  the  tooth  of  some  animal, 
one  inch  and  a  half  to  two  inches  in  length,  above 
their  chin;  it  is  passed  through  a  hole  in  the  under 
lip  when  they  are  very  young,  and  acquires  a  firm 
adhesion  with  the  integument.  In  their  habits 
they  differ  but  little  from  the  other  negro  tribes, 
but  it  is  rather  remarkable  that  they  do  not,  like 
the  negroes,  Turks,  or  Arabs,  convey  food  to 
their  mouths  with  their  fingers,  but  make  use  of  a 
she'll,  or  piece  of  wood,  shaped  like  a  spoon,  for  this 
purpose.  The  dwell  ing  place  of  this  tribe  was  very 
advantageously  situated  on  the  summit  of  a  hill, 
and  very  difficult  of  access  ;  the  commanding  officer, 
therefore,  on  hearing  that  it  was  not  supplied  with 
water,  to  avoid  a  loss,  decided  upon  surrounding 
the  hill,  and  forcing  the  negroes  by  thirst  to  sur- 
render. The  siege  lasted  eight  days,  and  the  poor 
creatures,  who  felt  themselves  too  weak  for  a  sortie, 
had  not  a  drop  of  water  left  on  the  fourth  day.  as  was 
subsequently  heard.  The  cattle  was  slain  in  the 
early  part  of  the  blockade  to  diminish  the  consump- 
tion of  water:  on  the  sixth  day,  several  children 
and  old  people  had  perished  of  thirst:  and  on  the 
seventh  day  the  mortality  became  so  frightful,  that 
they  determined  to  surrender.  Several  of  them 
advised  a  silly,  but  exhausted  as  they  were,  they 


334  DESCRIPTION   OF  A   SLAVE-HUNT 

saw  the  futility  of  this  movement ;  and  when,  on 
the  eighth  day,  hundreds  had  fallen  in  the  most 
fearful  torments  of  unsatisfied  thirst,  and  many  of 
the  negroes,  in  the  horrors  of  despair,  had  put  an 
end  to  their  miseries  by  ripping  open  their  abdo- 
mina  with  their  double-edged  knives,  the  small 
body  of  survivors  delivered  itself  up  to  the  enemy. 
Of  more  than  two  thousand  souls,  one  thousand 
and  forty-nine  were  only  found  living,  the  rest 
had  all  perished  by  thirst,  or  had  committed  suicide. 
On  entering  the  village,  the  huts  were  seen  filled 
with  the  dead,  and  the  few  unfortunate  survivors 
were  so  exhausted  by  fatigue,  and  overpowered  by 
thirst,  that  they  could  scarcely  stand  upon  their 
feet ;  yet  with  blows  with  the  butt-end  of  the  mus- 
ket, or  with  the  whip,  these  poor  wretches  were 
driven  from  the  huts,  dragged  into  camp,  with 
every  description  of  cruelty,  and  thence  despatched 
for  Lobeid,  on  which  march  more  than  one  hundred 
and  fifty  souls  perished  from  ill-usage. 

On  the  fourth  day  of  the  march  of  this  transport, 
after  the  caravan  had  halted,  and  whilst  the  pri- 
soners were  forming  detachments  to  take  up  their 
quarters  for  the  night,  it  so  happened  that  an  aged 
woman,  worn  out  with  the  fatigues  of  the  long 
march,  or  overcome  by  the  mental  sufferings  she  had 
endured,  was  incapable  of  reaching  the  spot  assigned 
to  her  with  sufficient  alacrity,  and  a  barbarous  Turk 
dealt  her  a  blow  with  the  butt  end  of  his  musket, 
which  laid  her  nearly  lifeless  on  the  sand.  Her 


IN  THE  YEARS   1838  AND   1839.  335 

son,  who  witnessed  this  gratuitous  act  of  cruelty,  no 
longer  master  of  his  feelings,  rushed  with  fury 
toAvards  the  soldier,  struck  him  a  blow  with  the 
sheba  round  his  neck,  and  felled  him  to  the 
ground.  This  was  the  signal  for  attack;  all  the 
slaves,  who  bore  a  sheba,  threw  themselves  upon 
the  troops,  and  knocked  them  down,  before  they 
could  take  to  their  arms,  or  fix  their  bayonets;  thus 
fifty-six  negroes  took  to  flight  during  the  confusion 
in  the  camp,  and  aided  by  the  darkness  of  night, 
succeeded  in  effecting  their  escape.  The  natives, 
attached  to  this  transport,  remained  quiet  spectators 
of  the  fray,  a  proof  of  the  interest  they  feel  in  these 
sanguinary  hunts. 

The  body  of  the  expedition  had,  in  the  meantime, 
continued  its  inarch  and  taken  another  hill  by  storm, 
—but  not  without  loss.  This  village  was  situated 
on  a  steep  declivity,  accessible  only  on  the  one  side, 
and  so  well  supplied  with  water  that  a  blockade 
was  out  of  the  question.  A  storm  was,  therefore, 
commanded.  On  both  sides,  the  men  fought  with 
desperate  bravery.  The  storming  party  purchased 
dearly  with  their  blood  every  inch  of  ground  they  ad- 
vanced. The  negroes  had  barricaded  every  arcr->i- 
ble  spot ;  each  tree  and  every  stone  formed  an 
ambush  whence  they  rushed  forth  upon  their  ene- 
mies, who  were  scaling  the  heights  under  severe 
difficulties.  The  muskets  were  of  no  avail,  for  the 
soldiers  were  forced  to  creep  upon  their  hands  and 
feet  and  could  not  use  their  arms  ;  thus,  many  were 


336  DESCRIPTION   OF   A   SLAVE-HUNT. 

stabbed  by  the  spears  of  the  natives,  before  they 
could  rise  on  their  feet,  and,  in  their  fall,  tore  se- 
veral of  their  advancing  comrades  down  with  them 
into  the  precipice  and  ravines  below.  The  cannonade 
employed  against  the  village  was  ineffective,  and 
forced  to  be  silenced  to  avoid  injuring  their  own 
men.  The  struggle  was  fearful,  and  the  event 
for  some  time  doubtful,  the  soldiers,  however,  at 
last  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  footing  on  the  heights, 
and  were  able  to  employ  their  arms ;  the  bay- 
onet now  decided  the  victory  in  their  favour,  and 
the  village  was  soon  taken,  in  spite  of  the  most 
obstinate  resistance  on  the  part  of  the  negroes. 
The  havoc  became  frightful  :  everyone  who  of- 
fered the  slightest  resistance  was  cut  down,  chil- 
dren, women,  and  old  men  were  put  to  the  bayonet, 
the  huts  were  fired,  and  the  whole  place  was 
pillaged ;  in  short,  every  species  of  cruelty  was  per- 
petrated on  these  ill-fated  victims.  Those  who  fell 
into  the  hands  of  the  victorious  enemy  were  imme- 
diately dragged  down  into  the  camp ;  whilst  those 
who  endeavoured  to  escape,  by  concealing  them- 
selves in  caverns  and  ravines,  were  either  hunted 
out  by  fire  and  smoke,  or  suffocated  in  their  place  of 
shelter ;  every  description  of  atrocity  was  practised, 
nor  did  the  carnage  cease  until  the  very  last  man  of 
this  ill-starred  tribe  was  exterminated  or  led  away  in 
captivity.  All  the  inconsiderable  property  of  the 
natives  which  the  troops  could  not  carry  away 
with  them  as  plunder  was  destroyed,  and  the  whole 


IN   THE   YEARS    1838  AND    1839.  337 

village  sacked  and  levelled  with  the  ground.  These 
were  not  all  the  sufferings  which  fell  to  the  lot  of 
these  unfortunate  men,  for  severer  tortures  awaited 
them  during  their  march  to  Kordofan.  I  was  un- 
fortunately, during  some  few  days,  an  eye-witness 
of  the  misery  these  poor  prisoners  endured.  No  pen 
can  describe  the  cruelties  these  miserable  men  were 
made  to  suffer,  in  addition  to  the  mental  torment 
consequent  on  their  loss  of  freedom  ;  for  laden  with 
the  heavy  sheba  round  their  necks,  or  bound  to- 
gether with  tight  straps  or  handcuffs,  the  poor 
negroes  were  driven  on  like  cattle,  but  treated 
with  far  less  care  or  forbearance.  The  greater 
number  of  them,  covered  with  the  wounds  they 
had  received  in  battle,  or  excoriated  by  the  sheba, 
or  the  straps,  and  handcuffs,  were  put  to  yet  severer 
trials  on  the  road,  and,  if  too  exhausted  to  keep 
pace  with  the  transport,  the  most  cruel  punishment 
awaited  them ;  the  piercing  cry  of  complaint  of 
these  unfortunate  beings,  and  the  tears  and  sobs 
of  the  children  who  had  either  lost  their  parents 
in  the  capture  of  the  village,  or  were  too  tired  to 
follow  their  exhausted  mothers,  would  have  melted 
a  heart  of  stone  to  pity.  On  these  ruthless  execu- 
tioners, however,  even  this  scene  of  misery  produces 
no  effect ;  they  march  with  unconcern  by  the  side 
of  the  prisoners,  and  are  only  anxious  to  further 
the  progress  of  the  convoy,  by  urging  on  those  who 
may  be  so  weak  that  they  cannot  follow  the  rest 
with  blows  and  stripes.  As  they  dragged  every- 


338  DESCRIPTION    OF   A   SLAVE-HUNT 

one  away  with  them  whom  they  found  living,  there 
was,  of  course,  a  large  number  of  lame,  blind,  and  old 
men,  and  persons  afflicted  with  other  infirmities, 
among  the  complement  of  slaves,  who  were  sure  to 
perish  on  the  road,  or  who  would  be  of  no  value 
on  their  arrival  in  Lobeid.  But,  even  this  circum- 
stance was  not  deemed  worthy  of  consideration ;  with- 
out mercy  all  were  driven  from  their  homes,  and  de- 
livered up  to  their  fate  ;  for  the  sole  object  is,  to  fur- 
nish the  number  of  slaves  demanded  by  the  govern- 
ment. Every  morning,  at  about  ten  o'clock,  a  halt 
was  ordered,  whereupon  the  prisoners  were  formed 
according  to  their  age  into  divisions,  to  receive  their 
rations,  consisting  of  boiled  dokn.  Salt  was  out 
of  the  question,  and  the  dokn  so  hard  that  the  full- 
grown  men  experienced  difficulty  in  masticating 
it.  Children,  who  are  too  weak  in  the  jaw  to  re- 
duce the  grain,  swallow  it  as  they  would  pills,  and  are 
frequently  put  to  the  most  excruciating  agony  in 
consequence ;  for,  not  being  able  to  digest  the 
food,  their  bodies  swell,  and  they  suffer  from  flatu- 
lence and  spasm.  I  have  seen  mothers  chewing 
the  victuals  for  their  children,  and  then  offering  it 
to  them.  In  forming  these  detachments  according 
to  age,  children  who  anxiously  cling  to  their  parents 
are  torn  by  force  from  their  arms,  that  they  may 
eat  alone.  The  condition  of  sick  and  wounded  was 
not  considered ;  their  wounds  were  not  even  dressed, 
and  they  received  the  same  allowance ;  many  of 
them  threw  themselves  on  the  sand,  and,  refusing 


IN  THE  YEARS    1838   AND   1839.  339 


all  food,  preferred  to  rest  their  weary  liml)^.  When 
one  of  these  poor  wretches  was  so  debilitated  that 
it  became  a  matter  of  doubt  whether  he  could  be 
dragged  on  any  further,  or  when  he  was  drawing  his 
last  breath,  he  was  thrown,  like  a  piece  of  wood, 
aside,  either  to  languish  in  despair,  or  to  be  torn 
to  pieces  by  the  wild  beasts.  Bread  is  unheard 
of  on  these  marches,  although  they  have  every 
convenience  for  baking;  this  would  be  too  great 
a  luxury,  however,  for  the  poor  slaves,  who  must 
content  themselves  with  food  not  even  good  enough 
for  cattle. 

As  soon  as  the  signal  for  the  march  was  given, 
the  slaves  were  forced  to  join  their  detachments, 
and,  in  case  of  delay  for  one  minute  only,  the  whip 
and  butt-end  of  the  musket  were  again  at  work.  Old 
men  and  infirm  women,  bent  down  with  the  weight 
of  years  and  care,  who  could  scarcely  creep  along, 
suffered  like  treatment,  and  when  too  weak  to 
move  on  were  left  to  perish  on  the  sand.  Children 
were  not  allowed  to  take  leave  of  their  nearest 
relatives  ;  a  tear  and  a  look  of  sorrow  was  "the  only 
tribute  they  could  pay  to  the  unfortunate  beings 
delivered  over  to  their  doom.  To  prevent  a  father 
or  a  mother  from  perishing  in  this  miserable  man- 
ner, their  wives  or  daughters,  who  were  unfettered, 
would  take  one  of  these  wretches  between  two  of 
them,  who,  passing  hi*  arms  round  the  neck  of 
both,  was  thus  dragged  on,  or  even  at  tim;- 
carried.  Children  above  MX  year^  <»f  age,  or  even 

z  2 


340  DESCRIPTION   OF   A   SLAVE-HUNT 

at  the  age  of  four,  were  forced  to  walk ;  they  also 
generally  succumb  to  the  fatigues  of  the  march,  and 
are  then  carried  by  their  mothers  or  sisters.  I  have 
seen  a  mother  with  an  infant  on  one  arm,  and  a 
child  of  two  years  of  age  on  the  other,  at  last 
charge  herself  with  a  grown  boy  on  her  back, 
until  she  sank  herself  exhausted  under  this  triple 
load. 

The  officers  commanding  on  these  expeditions 
are  more  especially  to  blame  for  the  cruelty  of  the 
troops,  for,  riding  at  a  distance  in  front,  or  in  the 
rear  of  the  transport,  they  do  not  trouble  them- 
selves about  the  condition  of  their  prisoners,  but 
leave  them  entirely  to  the  mercy  of  a  ruthless 
soldiery.  If  an  officer  of  more  feeling  should  hap- 
pen to  be  in  command,  the  circumstance  is  instantly 
known  by  the  diminished  mortality  on  the  road.  I 
once  met  with  one  of  them  who  feelingly  attended 
to  the  children  and  the  sick  ;  who  ordered  them  to 
be  mounted  on  the  beasts  of  burden  when  too  weak 
to  proceed,  and  I  saw  him  even  take  one  or  even 
two  of  the  children  on  his  own  horse.  This  man 
may  lay  his  head  on  his  pillow  in  peace,  free  from 
the  reproach  of  having  augmented  the  sufferings 
of  his  unfortunate  fellow-creatures,  whilst  many 
of  his  comrades  must  quail  under  the  pangs  of  a 
guilty  conscience  for  the  fearful  death  of  hundreds 
of  human  beings. 

An  hour  before  sunset  a  halt  was  again  ordered, 
and  rations  of  boiled  dokn  were  once  more  served. 


IN   THE   YEARS    1838   AND    1839.  341 

But  in  the  night  the  misery  of  the  slaves  reached 
its  very  climax.  In  the  month  of  January,  when 
the  changes  of  temperature  are  ordinarily  very  per- 
ceptible,  and  the  thermometer  generally  falls  be- 
low 4°  Reaumur  (41°  Fahrenheit),  the  cold  is  felt  as 
severely  as  when  at  4°  or  5°  below  0°  of  Reaumur  (23° 
to  20,  75°  Fahrenheit),  in  the  northern  parts  of  Ger- 
many. Imagine,  now,  the  poor  negroes  in  a  state 
of  absolute  nudity,  without  the  means  of  covering 
themselves,  and  debilitated  by  hunger  and  fatigue, 
when  some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  sufferings 
they  had  to  endure ;  fires  were  certainly  lighted, 
but  the  scanty  supply  of  wood  rendered  it  impos- 
sible to  defend  these  poor  wretches  from  the  ef- 
fects of  cold.  The  shrieks  and  sobs  of  the  children, 
the  cries  of  the  wounded,  and  the  groans  of  the  sick, 
were  perfectly  horrifying,  and  in  the  morning  an 
infant  was  once  found  dead  and  stiff  with  the  cold 
at  its  mother's  breast.  It  is  true  that  the  negroes 
have  no  covering  in  their  own  villages  beyond 
a  girdle  or  a  piece  of  linen  passed  round  their 
loins,  but  then  they  lie  at  night  in  their  huts,  or 
cover  themselves  with  the  skins  of  animals,  none 
of  which  they  can  find  on  their  march.  Those  who 
wore  the  sheba  could  not  sleep  at  night  for 
[)ain,  as  it  so  severely  compresses  the  neck  that 
it  impede*  every  movement,  and  thus  not  one  man 
was  free  from  suffering.  A  woman  far  advanced  in 
pregnancy  was  delivered  in  the  night  without  a^- 
1  gave  the  poor  mother  a  >hirt.  in  which 


342  DESCRIPTION    OF   A   SLAVE-HUNT 

she  wrapped  her  infant,  and  thus  safely  carried  it 
to  Lobeid,  and  in  compassion  for  her  weak  state 
I  lent  her  my  ass  to  ride.     I  am  unequal  to  the 
task  of  narrating  all  the  horrors  I  witnessed  during 
the  few  days  I  attached  myself  to  the  convoy ;  no 
words    are    sufficiently  expressive    to    describe  the 
sufferings  of  the  slaves,  and  no  tongue  can  tell  the 
painful  sensations  of  a  man  of  feeling  who   wit- 
nesses these  atrocities.     I  did  all  in  my  power,  with 
entreaties  and  presents,   to  make  the  troops,   and 
the  irregular  natives  forming  the  escort,  more  com- 
passionate, and  thus  many  a  man  was  induced  to 
take   a  child  who  could  not  move  its  jaded   feet 
along  the  burning  sand  upon  his  back,  or  to  relieve 
a  mother  exhausted  by  its  weight,  and  carry  it  dur- 
ing the  whole  of  the  day.     Unfortunately,  however, 
I  was  not  able  to  put  a  stop  to  all  acts  of  cruelty, 
and  was  forced  on  one  occasion  to  see  an  unfeel- 
ing soldier  fell  a  man  to  the  ground  with  the  butt- 
end  of  his  musket  because  unable  to  keep  pace 
with  the  rest :  his  feet,  in  fact,  refused  their  office : 
he  had  been  wounded  in  that  part  during  the  siege, 
the  wound  had  inflamed,  and  the  pain  had  quite 
overpowered  him.     I  lost  all  command  of  my  feel- 
ings on  witnessing  this  brutal  act,  drew  my  sword, 
and  should  have  cut  down  the  inhuman  barbarian,  if 
my  servant  had  not  seized   my  arm    and  wrested 
my  sword  and  pistols  from  my  hand ;  nor  did  he 
return  my  arms  to  me  before  he  saw  that  my  pas- 
sion had  cooled.     On  the  eighth  day  the  expedition 


IN   THE   YEARS    183.S   AM)    I  S.'W.  343 

arrived  at  Lobeid.  The  di*trilmtioii,  described  in  the 
former  chapter,  now  took  place,  and  this  is,  properly 
speaking,  the  chief  cause  of  the  harsh  and  merci- 
less behaviour  of  the  soldiery  towards  the  slave  ^ ; 
for  they  know,  that  they  will  be  compelled  to  re- 
ceive them  in  liquidation  of  their  arrears  of  pay, 
at  a  value  far  above  the  price  they  will  obtain 
from  the  slave-merchants ;  that  the  slaves,  more- 
over, frequently  die  before  they  can  dispose  of 
them,  in  which  case  the  loss  falls  upon  them,  and 
they  must  serve  the  government  for  months  gra- 
tuitously. Hence  they  do  all  in  their  power  to 
rid  themselves  of  the  old  and  infirm  slaves  before 
they  reach  Lobeid,  in  order  to  avoid  the  incon- 
venience of  being  forced  to  take  one  of  these  men 
in  lieu  of  their  pay.  If  the  payment  of  the  troops 
in  the  Belled-Soodan  were  effected  in  cash,  as  it 
is  in  the  other  provinces,  I  am  convinced  that  the 
unfortunate  slaves  would  meet  with  more  humane 
treatment.  But  thanks  to  the  noble  Queen  Victoria 
of  England,  whose  eye  of  compassion  has  penetrated 
into  these  distant  realms,  and  cheered  the  hearts  of 
the  dejected  and  oppressed  inhabitants, — at  whose 
earnest  representations,  in  fine,  these  slave-hunts 
have  been  put  an  end  to  by  Mehemed  Ali  himself, — 
thousands  of  these  poor  negroes,  who  from  year 
to  year  trembled  under  the  fear  of  a  similar  fate, 
may  now  live  in  peace  and  tranquillity;  and  the 
prayers  of  the  emancipated,  offered  up  to  the  throne 
of  the  Almightly  for  this  truly  great  monarch  can- 


344  DESCRIPTION   OF   A    SLAVE-HUNT. 

not  fail  to  reward  her  humanity  by  a  prosperous 
and  happy  reign.  According  to  reports  from  Kor- 
dofan,  no  expedition  for  kidnapping  slaves  was  or- 
dered in  the  year  1839,  and  the  troops  were  paid 
in  cash ;  but  those,  unfortunately,  of  1840  and 
1841  sound  very  differently,  for  Mehemed  Ali,  in 
spite  of  his  solemn  promise  to  put  an  end  to  all 
further  slave-hunts,  had  again  commenced  these 
revolting  expeditions. 


THE   COURSE   OF  THE   WHITE  NILE.  345 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

INFORMATION  CONCERNING    THE  COURSE  OP    THE  BAHR-ABIAD  (WHITB 
NILE). ANTIQUITIES  OF  KORDOFAN. — BANDANIANIAM.* 

DURING  my  residence  in  Kordofan,  I  enjoyed 
the  opportunity  of  coming  in  contact  with  persons 
who  had  travelled  over  the  greater  part  of  the 
South-east  and  South-west  of  Africa,  and  who  were 
able  to  give  me  information  on  many  points  hitherto 
subjected  to  doubt.  These  were  in  part  Djelabi 
(merchants),  in  part  Takruri  (pilgrims).  My  chief 
object  in  making  these  inquiries,  was  to  obtain  an 
authentic  account  of  the  course  of  the  White  Nile, 
but  I  was  unable  to  gain  satisfactory  information 
for  a  length  of  time,  and  nearly  despaired  of  ever 
arriving  at  my  end ;  for  the  men  who  travelled  in 
the  countries  through  which  this  river  flows,  were 

*  The  information  I  was  able  to  collect  was  communicated  to 
the  celebrated  French  traveller,  Antoine  d'Abbadie,  who  laid  it 
before  the  Academy  in  Paris  and  the  Geographical  Society  in 
London;  by  the  latter  it  was  subsequently  published  in  the 
Athenaeum,  of  18th  January  1840.  As  regards  the  White 
Nile,  more  accurate  information  may  now  have  been  obtained 
through  the  expedition  sent  in  the  year  1810,  for  the  third  time, 
}>v  .M«'lH'MH''l  AH,  to  trace  the  river  to  its  source. 


346  INFORMATION   CONCERNING 

partly  too  deeply  engaged  in  their  own  business 
to  attend  to  matters  of  little  or  no  importance  to 
them,  or  were  such  from  whose  statements  no 
certain  conclusions  could  be  deduced.  At  last, 
however,  I  became  acquainted  with  a  negro  from 
Runga,  who  had  spent  three  years  of  his  life 
in  Europe,  and  then  returned  to  his  native  coun- 
try. A  lengthened  intercourse  with  this  man 
convinced  me  that  he  had  enjoyed  the  opportunity 
of  learning  more  than  his  countrymen,  and  had 
profited  by  it,  and  was,  moreover,  not  addicted  to 
falsehood,  as  the  natives  are,  almost  without  excep- 
tion. He  had  visited  his  fatherland  after  three 
years  of  absence,  and  had  made  various  journeys 
into  other  countries.  I  thought,  therefore,  that  he 
would  be  the  best  man  to  apply  to  for  information 
on  the  course  of  the  White  Nile  ;  I  found  him  both 
intelligent  and  willing,  and  obtained  the  following 
description,  which  appears  to  me  most  worthy  of 
credence  : — 

The  Bahr-Abiad,  or  White  Nile,  flows  through 
Runga,  a  country  situated  to  the  south  of  Darfour, 
to  which  kingdom  it  is  tributary.  The  river  is  said 
to  be  very  broad,  but  by  no  means  deep,  and  even 
fordable  by  men  or  cattle.  During  the  dry  season, 
it  is  not  navigable  throughout,  for  in  certain  spots 
there  is  not  enough  water  to  float  a  boat,  and  the 
natives  are  only  in  few  places  provided  with  rafts. 
From  Runga  its  course  is  directed  towards  Bakkara, 
then  towards  the  country  of  the  Jenky,  Dynke,  or 


THE   COURSE  OF  THE  WHITE   NILE.  347 

Denkani,  where  it  is  said  to  receive  a  tributary 
stream,  of  whose  course  I  could  obtain  no  further 
information.  After  flowing  through  the  country  of 
the  Jenky  and  Shilluks,  the  Bahr-Abiad  is  said  to 
enter  Sennaar,  where  it  unites  with  the  Blue  Nile, 
near  Khartoom.  As  I  was  more  anxious  to  know 
the  course  of  the  river  before  it  reaches  Runga,  my 
friend,  the  negro,  introduced  me  to  several  of  his 
acquaintances,  natives  of  those  countries,  which  are 
watered  by  this  stream,  and  from  this  source  I 
learnt  that  it  flows  through  Binga,  Wuanga, 
Gulla,  and  Banda.  I  conversed  with  two  or  three 
persons  on  this  subject,  two  of  them  natives  of 
Bornu,  and  the  third  a  native  of  Binga,  who  had 
resided  during  five  years  in  the  former  state,  and 
they  all  coincided  in  that  statement,  that  a  river 
flows  through  the  country,  named  in  their  language 
the  Gazelle-stream,  because  its  water  is  as  pure  and 
transparent  as  that  of  springs.  They  could  not  tell 
me  its  source ;  but  all  agreed  that  it  takes  its 
course  towards  Banda,  where  it  is  named  the  White 
River,  from  the  colour  it  assumes,  dependent  on  the 
nature  of  the  soil  through  which  it  flows.  I  aN<> 
received  intelligence  of  certain  Egyptian  anti- 
quities, standing  in  the  desert,  between  Kordo- 
fan  and  Darfour,  at  Cab-Belull,*  a  place  situated  at 
a  distance  of  two  days'  march  from  Caccie,  on  the 
borders  of  Kordofan.  Douni-pahns  ^row  by  the 

*  In  the  Athenceum  this  place  is  erroneously  called  Bab-Belull, 
its  correct  name  is  Cab-Belull. 


348  INFORMATION   CONCERNING 

side  of  the  ruins,  and  in  the  dry  season  water  is  to 
be  found  at  a  distance  of  eight  miles  from  the  spot. 
This  place  is  very  little  known  in  Kordofan  even, 
for  no  road  passes  through  the  neighbourhood.  My 
informant  was  a  Djelabi  (merchant),  who,  on  his 
return  from  Darfour,  had  been  compelled  to  make  a 
considerable  circuit  to  avoid  a  horde  of  robbers,  and 
had  encamped  at  Cab-Belull.  His  camel-drivers, 
who  were  Kubbabeesh,  were  acquainted  with  this 
spot,  and  had  frequently,  on  their  former  journeys, 
driven  their  beasts  to  this  place,  for  pasture.  I  con- 
clude the  ruins  to  be  Egyptian  antiquities,  as  the 
merchant  compared  them  with  those  at  Luxor,  with 
which  he  was  also  acquainted.  They  are  said  to 
consist  of  large  portals,  and  high  walls;  some  few 
colossal  figures  in  stone  are  also  reported  to  be  there 
met  with,  but  the  greater  part  of  them  is  buried  in 
the  sands.  The  Djelabi  brought  a  few  camel- 
drivers  to  me,  who  had  a  knowledge  of  that  neigh- 
bourhood, for  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  visit  the 
place,  but  unforeseen  circumstances  subsequently 
prevented  me  from  carrying  this  design  into  effect. 
On  the  hills,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Banda,  a 
race  of  people  dwell,  quite  uncivilized  in  manner, 
warlike  and  predatory  in  habit :  the  enemy,  and  even 
the  terror,  of  all  the  bordering  negro  tribes.  They 
are  of  a  white  complexion,  like  the  Arabs  in  Egypt, 
of  regular  feature,  well-grown,  and  have  large  blue 
eyes.  They  are  called  by  the  negroes,  Bandaniaiiiain 


THE   COURSE   OF   THE   WHITE   NILE.          349 

(Anthropophagi),  and  are  said  to  be  of  Jewish  ex- 
traction. The  Sultan  of  Banda  institutes  hunts  to 
kidnap  the  girls  of  this  tribe,  and  Sultan  Moham- 
med Fadel,  of  Darfour,  has  a  few  of  them  in  his 
harem. 


350      ON  THE  KINGDOM  OF  DARFOUR. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

ON    THE    KINGDOM    OF    DARFOUR.* 

THE  realms  of  Darfour,  one  of  the  most  exten- 
sive dominions  of  central  Africa,  and  totally  un- 
known in  its  interior,  consist  of  the  following 
countries,  partly  provinces  of  the  kingdom,  and 
partly  tributaries  to  that  throne :  Darfur,  Runga,f 

*  I  consider  myself  justified  in  annexing  these  few  remarks  on 
Darfour  to  the  description  of  Kordofan,  although  somewhat  irrele- 
vant to  the  subject,  as  so  little  is  yet  known  of  that  kingdom,  and 
the  source  of  my  information  may  be  considered  very  authentic ; 
for  I  had  it  from  no  less  a  person  than  Sultan  Abumedina,  the 
brother  of  the  Sultan  of  Darfour,  and  I  am,  moreover,  of  opinion 
that  it  will  not  be  altogether  useless  in  a  geographical  point  of  view. 

f  Runga  is  situated  on  a  river,  believed  to  be  the  White  Nile, 
and  is  said  to  be  a  fertile  country,  with  a  very  healthy  climate. 
Bananas,  wild  grapes,  lemons,  and  three  sorts  of  potatoes,  grow  in 
the  country  ;  the  first  is  a  small  and  curved  variety,  which  grows 
without  cultivation  in  the  sand  ;  the  second  variety  resembles  the 
European  potatoe  in  shape  and  flavour,  and  is  planted;  the  third, 
which  is  also  cultivated,  is  a  giant  potatoe,  said  to  attain  the  weight 
of  twelve  oock'ckahs,  equal  to  twenty-seven  pounds.  The  country  is 
supposed  to  be  very  rich  in  silver  ore,  of  which  but  little  use  is  made, 
as  the  smelting  costs  the  natives  too  much  trouble.  Darfour  draws  a 
great  deal  of  ivory  and  rhinoceros'  horn  from  this  country,  but  it  has 
no  camels.  Islamism  has  made  great  progress  there  within  the  last 
few  years.  The  religion  of  the  natives  is  exceedingly  simple  ;  they 


ON   THE   KINGDOM   OF   DARFOl  II.  351 

Simla,  Gulla,  Binga,*  Bergu,f  the  latter  was;  oon- 
quered  by  the  Sultan  of  Darfour,  in  the  year  1833, 
and  includes  the  small  provinces  of  Bachermi,:): 
Kugo,  and  Niero ;  and  further,  the  small,  but  inde- 
pendent states  of  Berti,  Domurky,  Birget,  Gimmer, 
Fellata,  Forga,  and  Bandala.  Gimir,  Sachaua, 
Bego,  Yambusa,  Dama,  Masalit,  and  Midol,  are 
small  republics,  which  formerly  had  no  superiors 
beyond  a  magistrate,  or  sheikh,  in  each  village,  who 
exerted  no  executive  power,  but  was  obeyed  as 
the  head  of  a  family. 

All  these  states  were  subjected  to  Darfour  by 
force  of  arms.  Their  respective  sultans  inherit 
the  right  of  throne  as  heretofore,  but  are  now 
tributaries  to  that  country ;  the  contribution  con- 
believe  in  the  existence  of  an  invisible  deity  who  produces  water, 
namely  rain,  and  makes  their  fruit  to  grow.  They  pay,  further,  great 
respect  to  persons  afflicted  with  fatuity,  and  believe  them  to  be 
prophets  of  the  invisible  God.  They  build  peculiar  huts  for  these 
beings,  more  like  birdcages  than  houses,  where  they  are  confined, 
and  provided  with  food.  Before  sunset  the  populace  visits  them  to 
consult  them  for  advice,  and  every  answer,  be  it  ever  so  nonsen- 
sical, is  regarded  as  an  oracle,  and  firmly  believed.  The  same 
ideas  are  said  to  prevail  m  Banda,  Wuanga,  Binga,  and  Gulla. 

*  In  Binga  a  large  quantity  of  copper  ore  is  found,  which  is  met 
with  in  commerce  in  Kordofan,  and  converted  into  anklets  for  the 
women,  weighing  about  one  pound  each ;  it  has  not  the  same  charac- 
teristics as  the  European  copper,  but  bears  a  nearer  resemblance  to 
brass  ;  its  colour  is  pale  yellow. 

f  A  caravan  leaves  Bergu  annually  for  Tripoli.  The  distance 
from  Bergu  to  Kobbe,  the  chief  commercial  town  of  Darfour,  is 
twenty  days'  march.  Since  Bergu  has  become  tributary  to  Dar- 
four, European  goods  have  found  their  way  into  the  latter  country 
from  Tripoli  by  way  of  Bergu. 

^   Bagermi. — TR. 


352  ON   THE   KINGDOM   OF   DARFOUR. 

sists  of  ivory,  rhinoceros'  horns,  white  copper,  gold, 
and  slaves.     The  seraskier,  or  general,  who  resides 
at  Shata  or  Deleb,  is  forced  to  levy  the  tribute  ;  and 
detachments  of  troops  are  continually  on  foot  in  the 
various  districts,  engaged  in  collecting  the  taxation, 
for  which  purpose  they  are  always  obliged  to  resort 
to  coercive  measures.     The  army  consists  of  irre- 
gular troops  armed  with  shield  and  spear,  and  some 
few  with  bows  and  arrows.     The  cavalry  are  pro- 
vided   with    very   hardy   horses,    and    armed    with 
double-edged  sabres,  which  they  obtain  from  Ger- 
many ;  they  are,  in  part,  clad  like  the  old  Numi- 
dian  horse   in   shirts    of  mail,   purchased  at   large 
sums    in    Arabia ;    so    high,    indeed,    is    the    price 
of  this  armour,  that  it  might  be  manufactured  in 
Germany  at   one   fourth   of  the    cost.     There   are 
only  about  four  hundred  muskets,  of  various  shapes 
and  sizes,  in  the  whole  army ;  their  balls  they  cast 
of  copper.     At  El  Fasher,  the  capital  of  Darfour, 
four  iron  cannons  are  mounted.    Dar-Marra,  a  large 
hill,  situated  at  a  distance  of  two  short  days' journey 
from  El  Fasher,  is  considered  the  fort  of  Darfour, 
and  is  believed  to  be  impregnable,  as  it  has  a  never- 
failing  supply  of  water,  and  if  besieged,  might  grow 
sufficient  corn  for  the  consumption  of  the  garrison. 
The  army  of  Darfour,  has,  at  various  times,  ventured 
as    far   as    Banda,*  Wuanga,    and    Pegu,   but   was 
always  beaten  back  with   considerable   loss.     Mo- 

*  Banda  has  been  vaunted  to  me  as  a  country  rich  in  gold ; 
it  is  also  said  to  possess  a  large  quantity  of  white  copper. 


ON    THE    KINGDOM    OF    DARFOUR. 

hummed  Fadel,  Sultan  of  Darfour,  is  the  present 
despotic  monarch  reigning  over  all  these  countri 
he  is  an  exceedingly  barbarous  man,  greatly  dreaded 
by  all  his  subjects,  and  has  merely  kept  himself  in 
power  by  his  considerable  irregular  army.  His  young- 
er brothers,  Abumedina  and  Achmet,  who  are  both 
beloved  by  the  people,  he,  on  that  account,  bitterly 
hates,  and  consequently  treats  them  more  harshly 
than  slaves.  When  his  oppressive  cruelty  became 
too  severe  to  be  endured,  they  determined,  with 
the  aid  of  a  few  trustworthy  friends,  to  effect  their 
escape  to  Kordofan,  their  flight  was,  however,  dis- 
covered, and  Sultan  Fadel  had  them  pursued  ;  they 
\\ere  overtaken  on  the  borders  of  Kordofan,  and 
the  youngest  was,  after  some  slight  resistance,  seized 
and  carried  before  his  brother  Fadel,  who  instantly 
had  his  eyes  put  out.  A  fleet  horse  saved  Abume- 
dina, and  he  readied  Kordofan,  after  having  re- 
ceived a  severe  sabre  wound  across  his  head  in  his 
defence  :  he  now  placed  himself  under  the  protec- 
tion of  Mehemed  Ali,  who  instantly  made  him  a 
monthly  allowance.  On  his  la>t  journey  to  the 
gold-mines  of  Fazoglo,  in  Sennaar,  Mehemed  Ali 
summoned  Abmnedina  into  his  presence,  and  pro- 
mised to  place  him  on  the  throne  of  Darfour,  as 
Boon  a^  his  own  affairs  with  the  Porte  were  settled  : 
for  which  kind  oflice  Abmnedina  is  to  pay  an  an- 
nual tribute  to  Kgypt  of  a  thousand  hordes,  ivory, 
and  white  copper;  the  exact  quantity  of  the  latter 
articles  was  not  determined,  but  he  is  \*>  keep  the 

2  A 


354      ON  THE  KINGDOM  OF  DARFOUR. 

Egyptian  auxiliaries  in  his  pay  as  long  as  he  may 
deem  their  services  necessary. 

Should  his  wishes  of  rising  to  the  throne  of  Dar- 
fur  be  fulfilled,  as  he  confidently  hopes,  Europeans 
would  gain  considerably  by  this  change  in  the  govern- 
ment, for  it  would  open  a  new  path  into  the  unex- 
plored portions  of  Central  Africa ;  and  much  good 
may  be,  moreover,  expected  from  his  very  excellent 
character.  He  has  often  told  me  himself,  that  he 
would  receive  an  European,  who  would  occupy  him- 
self with  the  civilization  of  his  people,  with  open 
arms.* 

The  following  short  anecdote  may  serve  as  a 
proof  of  the  kindness  of  his  disposition,  and  of  the 
nobleness  of  his  character. 

During  my  sojourn  in  Lobeid,  I  had  the  oppor- 
tunity of  an  introduction  to  Abumedina:  he  re- 
ceived my  visit  with  great  kindness  and  attention, 
and  I  passed  for  a  considerable  time  some  hours 
daily  in  his  company  .f  Among  my  effects  there 
happened  to  be  a  gun  in  the  form  of  a  walking* 

*  At  present  any  traveller  might  reach  Darfour,  but  he  would 
never  return,  because  the  reigning  Sultan  looks  upon  every  white 
man  as  a  spy  of  Mehemed  Ali's.  Mohammed  Fadel's  chief  wish 
is  to  have  some  European  settlers  in  his  country  ;  he  even  invited 
me  through  a  Djelabi,  to  come ;  for  he  is  well  aware  that  Mehe- 
med Ali  has  set  his  eye  upon  Darfour.  An  European  died  eight 
years  ago  in  that  kingdom  :  he  was  a  renegade,  and  stood  very  high 
in  the  favour  of  the  Court.  He  has  left  two  full-grown  sons ;  but 
I  could  neither  discover  his  name,  nor  the  country  he  came  from. 

t  I  have  frequently  dined  at  his  table,  and  when  I,  on  one  of 
these  occasions,  observed  no  bread,  and  asked  the  reason,  he  an- 


ON    TI1K    KINGDOM    OF    DAKFOl  K.  :i.V> 

stick,  which  Abumedina  very  much  wished  to  j> 
sess,  when  he  learned  the  use  of  it.  At  his  request, 
but  rather  as  a  mark  of  my  esteem,  I  gave  it  to 
him,  with  instructions  as  to  the  treatment  of  it,  in 
loading,  &c.,  and  I  more  especially  drew  his  attention 
to  the  quantity  of  powder  necessary  for  the  char 
A  short  time  after  this,  Abumedina  went  out  shoot- 
ing, at  his  country-seat,  and  overcharged  the  gun, 
which  of  course  burst  and  in  the  explosion  very 
much  shattered  his  left  hand.  His  attendants  laid 
the  blame  of  this  accident  upon  me,  and  requested 
the  sultan  to  punish  me  for  it.  Apprehensive  of 
the  consequences,  I  fled,  and  concealed  myself  in 
the  house  of  a  fake6r,  who  was  my  friend,  and  from 
whom  I  had  no  treachery  to  fear.  I  there  heard 
that  the  Divan  at  Lobeid  had  instituted  proceedings 
at  law  against  me,  but  that  Abumedina  had  taken 
my  defence  upon  himself,  and  torn  the  papers,  say- 
ing, "  Pallme  is  my  friend  !  he  cautioned  me ;  he  is 
innocent ;  it  was  the  will  of  God."  After  passing  ten 
days  in  a  dark  and  damp  straw  hut,  in  the  greatest 
anxiety,  I  preferred  continuing  my  flight,  although 
I  had  nothing  further  to  fear  from  Abumedina.  I 
consequently  proceeded  straightway  to  the  White 
Nile,  and  thence  to  Sennaar,  whence  I  travelled  ov.  r 
Berber,  and  the  desert,  to  Kgypt.  By  the  time  1 
had  pa^ed  the  first  cataract,  all  my  cares  were  dis- 
sipated, and  I  was  walking  one  day  on  the  bank*  of 

swered  :    bread  is   only  for  sn\uiu>   and    sla\v>  .    hut  that  it  had 
nevei  h.m  a  custom  of  tlui  Sultans  of  |>arf<>ur  t«>  cat  l>read. 


356  ON   THE   KINGDOM   OF   DARFOUR. 

the  Nile,  at  Sijuth,  when  I  suddenly  heard  a  negro 
calling  me  by  my  name,  at  a  short  distance  from  me. 
I  turned  round,  and  immediately  recognized  Abume- 
dina's  eunuch.  This  rencontre  appeared  to  me,  at 
the  moment,  rather  suspicious  ;  I  quickened  my 
pace,  therefore,  towards  my  boat,  to  reach  my  arms, 
and  defend  myself,  if  necessary;  nor  could  the 
eunuch  induce  me  to  follow  him  ;  but  then  came  one 
of  the  Sultan's  mamelukes,  in  whom  I  could  place 
more  confidence  ;  I  consequently  accompanied  him 
to  the  boat  belonging  to  the  prince,  where  I  was  most 
cordially  welcomed.  The  Sultan  had  all  my  luggage 
removed  to  his  boat,  and  I  travelled  in  his  company 
to  Cairo,  where  he  waits  for  the  twelve  thousand  men, 
which  Mehemed  Ali  has  promised  to  lend  him,  for 
the  purpose  of  conquering  Darfour,*  as  soon  as  cir- 
cumstances will  permit  him  to  spare  as  many  troops. 

*  It  need  scarcely  be  mentioned  that  this  change  of  government 
has  not  yet  taken  place. — TR. 


THE    END. 


LONDON  :  _/-  /y 

Printed  by  S.  &  J.  BENTLEY,  WILSON,  and  FLEY. 

Ban  go  r  House,  Shoe  Lane. 


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